Innocence Lost
by Thaliana
Summary: Kurt makes a rash decision based on a mistaken lack of self-worth and a very awful thing that's happened to him.  Can he snap out of it?  To be continued...
1. Kurt

**Author's Note: I'm going to rename this story. **_**Kurt's Decision **_**was a lame title thrown in because I actually forgot that stories needed titles. I also have a bit of a dilemma. I tend to revisit previous chapters and make minor alterations. I should have thought about that before feeding you the first chapter of what is looking to be an epic fic. I've already written the epilogue, so at least I know how it's going to end. But what comes in between is anybody's guess. I had an outline, and then wrote three short chapters that weren't originally in it while at work. (Having a desk job really does rock, but let's not tell my bosses I'm writing slashfic while answering phones.)**

**So, before I post a chapter, I'm going to do my best to be certain that it's complete. And the only reason I'll change something is if there's a continuity error within my own semi-canon universe down the line. This I promise you, readers. Also, each chapter is going to have a name, instead of a boring number.  
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**And tonight, only days later, I'm breaking that promise. I'm reformatting the entire story. I'd first intended for the second chapter to be two separate chapters, and it was bothering me for days, plus it wasn't even the correct final version, so I came back and fixed it. So my new promise is, if I'm going to massively change a chapter, I'll at least post the next chapter, to make it worth your while. I hope you think so, too.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own James Blunt (or his music) and sadly, I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal. Hate to see how many cute boys I'd have hidden under my bed.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 1 - Kurt<p>

"Blaine, we need to talk," Kurt Hummel said quietly, looking down at his hands. "Will you stop dancing around for a moment so we can?"

Blaine Anderson stopped mid-twirl. "Yes, my love?" he asked, a cheeky grin crossing his handsome face. They were in Blaine's bedroom, like so many times before, Kurt sitting primly on the edge of the bed, his boyfriend dancing in front of the mirror like he was wont to do.

"I know you invited me over today so we could, well, you know…"

"Make out in the comfort and privacy of a home with no parents home? Absolutely!" Blaine said. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Well, anyway, I need to talk to you about something serious."

Blaine frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked, settling down on the opposite side of the bed.

"I want to break up," Kurt blurted out. He stood and paced. "I don't think we should date anymore."

"What? Kurt, but why?" Blaine looked stricken. "Just last night..."

"I'm done," Kurt said. "I'm going to New York in a few months, and I want to concentrate on my studies and my art until then. I don't have time for distractions."

"But, I love you," Blaine said softly.

"I know you think you do," Kurt said. "But we're young. And not exactly ready for a commitment. At any rate, I'll just show myself out." He reached for the doorknob.

Blaine sighed and bit his lower lip. "Kurt, wait." He stood up from the bed and walked over to the door on legs that barely held his weight.

"Look, Blaine, there's nothing more to be said. We're through." Kurt offered a slight smile. "You'll find someone else."

"That's it, isn't it. Who is he?" Blaine asked suddenly.

"He? Who are you talking about?" Kurt looked genuinely confused.

"The other guy. The guy who is making you leave me. Who is he?"

"There is no other guy, Blaine. I just want to be single, okay?" Kurt's voice rose a full octave. "Why is that such a crime?"

"Because you're breaking my heart," Blaine said. He reached out and touched Kurt's shoulder. "Please reconsider. I'll give you time, I'll give you space. Anything you need. If this is about sex, we don't have to do it. You're right, things were moving too fast. We'll take a step back."

"Blaine, stop. Just stop," Kurt turned the doorknob and stepped out of the bedroom. "Goodnight, Blaine. See you in glee tomorrow." He strode down the hall, made it to his car, and a full block and a half away before the tears overwhelmed him and he had to pull over. He sobbed into his arms over the steering wheel for a long, long time.

Back in his bedroom, Blaine slid down the back of the door, the tears streaming down his cheeks. He sobbed until he fell asleep there, curled into himself, on the floor of his bedroom.

Carole Hummel-Hudson sorted the laundry, knowing that she was the only one in the house trusted to launder Kurt's designer fashions. Usually super-organized, Kurt rarely left his clothing scattered about for her to find, but today she'd gone into his room and found he had wadded up a full outfit in the back of the closet. Separating the whites, she began tossing them into the washer, one piece at a time. She so rarely had to treat any stains on her step-son's clothing, she almost missed the spots on a particular pair of boxer briefs.

Frowning, she pulled the shorts back out of the washer. The red stains made her worried. Was that blood? She knew things had gotten serious between Kurt and Blaine, but she didn't think the boys were that close. Or that they'd ever do anything that would hurt Kurt in such a way. She set the shorts aside, and finished the rest of the laundry she was working on. She picked up the phone and called Kurt's cell, but it went straight to voicemail. Then she went and found Blaine's phone number.

"Hello?" the young man asked, a note of hope in his tear- and sleep-roughened voice. "Kurt?"

"No, sweetie, it's Carole. Are you ill, Blaine? You don't sound so good."

"What do you need?" Blaine asked dejectedly.

"This…Blaine, is Kurt at your house?"

"No, he left." There was a pause as Blaine checked the time. "Two hours ago. Isn't he home yet?"

"No," Carole said. "Okay, this is going to be rather awkward, but I have to ask you a very personal question."

"Look, Mrs. Hummel, I'm not exactly in the mood for questions. Kurt and I broke up."

"What?" Carole's eyes went wide. "But…you two were so in love. What happened?"

"I don't know. He came over, I thought everything was fine, and then he broke up with me. Suddenly. Then he left. Two hours ago."

Carole sighed. "Blaine, I still have to ask you a rather awkward question. I was hoping to ask Kurt, and spare you the embarrassment, but I need to know."

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"Are…Blaine, did you and Kurt ever have sex?" Carole asked. "I found…something…and I'm worried."

"What? No!" Blaine exclaimed. "Never! I mean, we've made out, but that's it. We've been responsible. We know we're too young."

"I see," Carole asked. "Well, then, never mind."

"No," Blaine said. "What did you find? Please, I'm trying to understand why he left. Please, Mrs. Hummel."

"Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Carole?"

"Well, Mrs-er, Carole, since Kurt and I aren't together, I just thought…" Blaine sighed. "Please tell me what you found. I need to know."

"I don't know that I should, but Blaine, I found a pair of Kurt's boxer briefs. They have…a lot of blood on them."

"What?" Blaine asked. "He…Kurt swore there wasn't anyone else. I…I don't understand."

"Sweetie, don't jump to conclusions. I'll ask Kurt when he gets home. I'm sure there's an explanation for it. Please don't jump to conclusions. I shouldn't have said anything. Blaine, I want you to know, Burt thinks you're the best thing to happen to Kurt since the glee club, and I have to agree with him. I hope you two work things out. But if not, well, I, for one, will really miss having you around for Friday night dinners."

"Thank you," Blaine said. "Um, I need to go."

"Alright, honey. I hope to talk to you soon."

"Goodbye," Blaine said. He pressed the end button on the phone, and threw it across the room. Kurt was sleeping with someone else. His beloved boyfriend was letting someone else do to him what he had never let Blaine even come close to doing. The man he thought he would spend the rest of his life with, was bottoming to some faceless stranger.

Kurt arrived home and went straight up to his room.

"Kurt, honey!" Carole called. "Sweetie, come back down here, please."

Kurt wanted to hide, but he knew his stepmother would come looking for him if he didn't answer her. He felt sick, he hurt all over, and all he wanted was to sink into another hot bath and wallow for the next few hours. Reluctantly he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Yes, Carole?" he asked.

"Honey, we need to talk."

"What's on your mind?" Kurt asked with false cheerfulness.

"I just spoke to Blaine."

"What? Did he call here? I told him I'd see him tomorrow. And he knows my cell number. There was no reason for him to call here!"

"No, Kurt, honey, I called his house looking for you."

"Why didn't YOU call my cell phone?" he asked.

"I did. It went straight to voicemail. He told me you two had broken up."

"Yes. I made the adult decision to work on my singing and dancing for the next few months before going to New York. What's the crime in that?"

"The crime is I was doing your laundry and found the outfit you wore last night, in the back of your closet. Kurt, is there something you want to tell me?"

Kurt's already pale face lost all its color. "Carole, it's nothing," he said. "I just…I got lazy and tossed it in there. I'll…I'll take care of my laundry. Don't worry about it."

"It's too late, sweetie. I saw the blood. That's why I was calling you. What happened? Blaine said you two hadn't….that you hadn't had sex, but then why?"

"You asked Blaine?" Kurt's voice rose to its highest. "Did you tell him about the blood? Carole, that was none of his business, or yours! You have completely invaded my privacy!" He spun on his heel and stomped out of the room and back up the stairs.

Minutes later, the bathroom door was locked, and Kurt was ready to slip deep into a lilac scented bubble bath. He cranked up his stereo, turned off the lights, and cried. He hurt, inside and out, and needed to be alone.

_Did I disappoint you or let you down?  
>Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?<br>'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,  
>Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.<br>So I took what's mine by eternal right.  
>Took your soul out into the night.<br>It may be over but it won't stop there,  
>I am here for you if you'd only care.<br>You touched my heart you touched my soul,  
>You changed my life and all my goals.<br>And love is blind and that I knew when,  
>My heart was blinded by you.<br>I've kissed your lips and held your head.  
>Shared your dreams and shared your bed.<br>I know you well, I know your smell.  
>I've been addicted to you.<em>

_Goodbye my lover.  
>Goodbye my friend.<br>You have been the one.  
>You have been the one for me.<em>

Kurt sank beneath the bubbles for a moment. He broke the surface for a breath, and hoisted himself out of the tub. It was a blessing that his skin routines were ingrained into him, else he might not have bothered.

Forgoing supper, Kurt laid a towel on the sheets and slid beneath the covers. He was protecting the sheets from the blood, same as he had the previous night. He hoped it would end soon. Unlike the torture in his heart, the physical pain had a definite limited duration.

The next afternoon, Blaine sat in the corner of the choir room, while Kurt said on the other side, the two completely ignoring one another. Neither added to the conversation, neither stepped forward with song ideas, and everyone noticed when Kurt bowed out of dance practice, saying he didn't feel well.

That night, Monday, Kurt mentally finalized his plans and did several hours of internet research.

Tuesday night, Kurt lined up two bottles of pills, a brand new straight razor, his favorite bubble bath, a picture of him and Blaine, and the dried pink carnation he'd worn in his lapel to prom. He put them all into a shoebox and slid it under his bed.

Wednesday night, he checked the website again, making sure he had the amounts, the locations, everything precisely as it needed to be. He printed out the pages and added them to the box.

Thursday night, he wrote the letters. A separate letter for each member of the glee club, one for his dad, one for Carole, one for Mr. Schuester. Only one more week he had to endure. Regionals were a week from Saturday. That night, all the pain would end.

The entire week, he claimed to have a cold, or maybe the beginning of the flu, anything to keep his glee club teammates off his back. He would have to suck it up during the practices before competition, but for now, he couldn't bring himself to fake it. He avoided the assignment in glee that week through his supposed illness. The assignment had simply been to sing a song that told the story of how you were feeling, at that moment in time.

Blaine sang, in rehearsal after school on Friday, "Behind These Hazel Eyes". He'd always had a way of turning a traditionally female song into one for his voice and range. Kurt shouldered his bag and left the room midway through the song. Blaine, ever the showman, finished his performance.

After a week of watching one of her best friends mope around in a serious funk, Rachel Berry had had enough. When Kurt fled the room, she followed immediately. Glee was letting out soon, and she needed to try to talk to him before one of the others came along.

"Kurt!" she called, running to catch up with the longer-legged teen. "Kurt can we talk?"

"Rachel, I don't have time," he said. "I…I need…" He strode down the hall and into the women's washroom. Rachel followed without a second thought.

"What happened between you and Blaine?" Rachel asked persistently. "You two are perfect together. You've been avoiding me all week, and I've had enough."

"What does it matter to you?" Kurt asked. "You have your Finn, your NYADA, your resume. You don't care about Blaine and I."

Rachel took a deep breath. "Kurt, there is a distinct possibility that, one day in the future, you'll be my brother-in-law. Well, step-brother-in-law, but the details don't matter. You matter. To me. I love you. Like a brother, or a sister. You're my best gay. And I don't like to see you hurt. And Blaine, well, Blaine is the first man who ever went gay after dating me. So I care what happens to you two. Seriously."

"I knew you had amazing lungs, but that was a bit much for one breath," Kurt said. "And I see that yes, you do care. But please, it's not really any of your business. We broke up. End of story." He offered her a slight smile, then pulled her to him for a hug. "I love you too. Even though you're persistent, annoying, and far too much a diva, I still love you."

"Alright, well, if you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you. So is Finn. And everyone else. Everyone feels kinda helpless, since you've been ignoring us all this week."

Kurt nodded. "I'm surprised Mercedes isn't in here," he said. "But…Rachel, could you leave me alone now? I want to be by myself."

Rachel sighed and hugged him again. "Alright," she said. "But you're miserable without him. I can tell." She turned and left the washroom, and literally ran into Blaine. "Blaine!" she squeaked.

"Is he in there?" Blaine asked quietly. He handed Rachel her bag, which he'd picked up for her when she'd chased Kurt out of the room.

"Yes," Rachel said absolutely. "He's in there, and he still doesn't want to talk to any of us. What happened, Blaine?"

"He came over on Sunday, and told me he didn't want to be with me anymore. I honestly don't know what happened. I just…I want him back, Rachel. I don't care what he did. I don't care if he slept with the entire football team. I love him. I want him back."

"Wait. Kurt SLEPT with someone else?" Rachel asked incredulously, her voice rising a full octave.

"I don't know for sure, and please, don't go telling anyone. It's none of anyone's business. I love him, Rachel. And I don't want to be without him. I can't be without him." The last came out in a whisper. "Make sure no one comes in," he instructed Rachel, before pushing the door to the women's restroom open and striding in. "Talk to me," he demanded.

"Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, turning away from the mirror where he had been dabbing at his cheeks, wiping away another round of tears. "What are you doing in here?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Now, are you going to tell me what's really going on?" Blaine's voice was pleading, begging. It was so unlike the younger boy to be so open, so sadly emotional. Usually he ran to anger, happiness, exuberance. So rarely sadness. It pained Kurt to know that he alone was responsible for the look on Blaine's face.

"I cheated on you," Kurt said flatly. "Saturday night, when I left your place, I stopped for gas on the way home, and hooked up with a random guy at the truck stop."

"You're lying," Blaine said quietly. "You'd never do that."

"How do you know?" Kurt asked. "We did it in the bedroom of his semi-truck. It was…fantastic," his voice trembled on the last word.

"Then why were you bleeding afterwards?" Blaine's question cut Kurt to the bone, but the taller boy shrugged it off.

"Probably because of his huge…" Kurt sighed, unable to continue. "Just go. I don't want to talk about this."

"Don't lie to me, Kurt. Whatever happened, we meant something to each other once. Please, baby, don't lie to me."

"Don't call me that!" Kurt screeched. "I don't deserve it! I don't deserve your love! I don't deserve you, Blaine. Just, please, leave!"

"What really happened?" Blaine asked, advancing on Kurt and crowding him into a corner of the bathroom. "What really happened when you left my house on Saturday night, as horny and frustrated as I was."

Kurt closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. "He raped me,"

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><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, I receive any feedback that says it's wanted.**


	2. Blaine, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (or their awesome song) and sadly, I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

Chapter 2 - Blaine, Part 1

Kurt closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. "He raped me," he said quietly, giving in to the impulse to tell Blaine the truth, to tell him everything. "I stopped for gas, like I said, and I had to pee, really badly. So badly that I braved the gas station washroom. And you know how I feel about that sort of thing. It was so gross, so dirty. And he was there."

"Who? Who did this to you?" Blaine asked.

"The truck driver. He said I was…" Kurt stopped, holding his fist to his mouth as tears streamed down his face. It felt so good to finally unburden himself, and yet, so bad that he had to tell Blaine this, had to reveal his deep dark secret. "He said I was the prettiest boy he'd seen all night, and that he was going to have some fun with me. The bathroom opened up to the outside, and he dragged me to his truck. I tried to fight. I swear, Blaine, I wanted my first time to be with you. And then, when he was done, he pushed me out of the truck and drove away. He made me come, Blaine, he made me enjoy the pain he was inflicting on me."

"So you broke up with me because you were raped?" Blaine asked in disbelief. He'd handle the rest of what Kurt had said later.

"I'm not good enough for you anymore," Kurt said. "I'm not good enough for anyone. I…I'm sorry. Please, just let me go."

"Never." Blaine's single word had a tone of finality to it. He wrapped his arms around the thinner boy and held him close. "I'm sure Rachel can't hold off the rest of McKinley's female population for much longer. And if it's one of the girls in glee, she probably won't even try. Now, I believe we have a family Friday dinner to get ready for."

"No!" Kurt exclaimed, pushing him away. "Blaine, stop it! I'm dirty, and ruined. Just let me go!"

"Never," Blaine said again. "We _will_ get through this. But you can't keep this secret. Carole already suspects something terrible happened to you, and I'm sure she's told your dad. I think it's time you came clean. I'll be there with you. Come on, let's get you home. Did you come with Finn or drive yourself today?"

"I came with Finn," Kurt said. "He's probably in the parking lot waiting for me."

"I'll take you home," Blaine said. "Now, let's go. You won't change my mind. We're better together than apart. You know that."

"You aren't mad at me?" Kurt asked softly.

"How could I be mad at you for this, Kurt? Sure, I'm hurt that you lied to me, and that you thought this was the only way out. But I love you. I couldn't be mad at you."

"I thought it would be easier for you," Kurt said. "Easier, when I was gone."

"Gone?" Blaine's face paled. "Kurt…what are you saying?"

"Regionals are next week. If I could just make it through that competition, there'd be enough time to find someone else before Nationals. I couldn't live with this anymore."

"You were going to kill yourself?" Blaine asked, the shock evident on his handsome face.

"I don't want to live with this pain," Kurt said. "This pain that feels like it will never end."

"We'll make the pain go away. Please, baby, just let me make it better. I'll make it all go away. I promise." Blaine peppered Kurt's face with light kisses. "I love you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel. I love you more than life itself. My life is worthless without you in it. You are my light, my sun, moon and stars. No one else will ever be as perfect for me as you are." With those words said, Blaine placed a gentle hand over Kurt's mouth and began to sing softly.

_When I see your smile_  
><em>Tears run down my face<em>  
><em>I can't replace<em>  
><em>And now that I'm stronger I've figured out<em>

_How this world turns cold_  
><em>And breaks through my soul<em>  
><em>And I know, I'll find deep inside me<em>  
><em>I can be the one<em>

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven<em>

_'Cause you're my, you're my, my_  
><em>My true love, my whole heart<em>  
><em>Please don't throw that away<em>

_'Cause I'm here for you_  
><em>Please don't walk away<em>  
><em>And please tell me, you'll stay, stay<em>

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>  
><em>I'll be there for you through it all<em>  
><em>Even if saving you sends me to Heaven<em>

_I will never let you fall_  
><em>I'll stand up with you forever<em>

When Blaine finished singing, both boys were crying. Their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss, and Blaine whispered, "forever."

Kurt nodded slowly. "Can we go now?" he asked, sniffling. "I…I want to pretend this week, this whole week without you never happened."

"Let's go," Blaine clutched Kurt's hand tightly in his, and handed his boyfriend's messenger bag to him before leading him to the door.

"Thank God!" Rachel exclaimed as the door opened. "I don't think I could have kept them out much longer."

"I was about to have me some Berry fist pie, made by my own fists," Santana said. "Now did you two work things out, or do we have to lock you back in there? Because I _will_ go Lima Heights on your asses if I have to."

"We're working on it, 'Tana," Kurt said. He held up their clasped hands as proof. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a family dinner to get to."

"Yay!" Rachel clapped her hands together. "I'll walk out with you boys. Finn is waiting for us in the parking lot. I told him he didn't have to come back in, that I would keep him posted. Carole is making her amazing vegan lasagne for supper tonight. It's going to be great!"

Kurt closed his eyes for a moment. He hadn't dared hope that Rachel would have something else to do, she was almost as much a fixture at Friday Night Dinner as Blaine had become.

Blaine turned back to Santana, Brittany and Mercedes. "Everything's going to be fine," he told the three. "Kurt just had a bit of the nerves this week," he said. "Nothing to be worried about, and we'll both be ready to go come Monday's rehearsal."

"Good, because we can't expect to win regionals without you two backing me up," Mercedes said with her trademark smile.

"And unicorns and dolphins shouldn't be so sad," Brittany said. "It makes their magic go away sooner."

Blaine couldn't help but smile. "See you girls Monday," he said, before he and Kurt walked out of the school hand-in-hand.

"I thought you guys would never come out," Finn said when they reached the parking lot. "Seriously. I think I used half a tank idling out here."

"Just don't go to the gas station on the east side of Lima," Kurt said dryly.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"He means they add stuff to the gas, so it isn't as good," Blaine said helpfully. "Listen, Finn, you take Rachel home, I'll bring Kurt, okay?"

"Sounds good, man. We'll see you there." Finn leaned over and opened the door to the truck for Rachel, who climbed gracefully inside. She waved to Blaine and Kurt as they walked, hand-in-hand, across the parking lot.

"So why didn't you drive today?" Blaine asked. "Not that I don't mind, but…"

"I haven't driven my car since the night I came home from your house," Kurt said. "I have to have it detailed…there's blood on the seat. I haven't had the energy to clean it myself."

"I'll do it tomorrow morning," Blaine said immediately. "I want to do this for you. I want to help you erase every trace of what happened to you. Okay?" He walked Kurt around to the passenger side door and opened it for him, reluctantly releasing his boyfriend's hand to walk around the other side. By the time he got there, Kurt had unlocked the driver's side door and pushed it open. It was a habit the two had fallen into, one of the cute little 'boyfriends' things that never failed to elicit a smile from either party.

Blaine slid behind the wheel and started the car. He only kept both hands on the steering wheel until they were out of the parking lot, and then he and Kurt were holding hands again like their lives depended on it.

Kurt worked his phone out of his pocket with his free hand and called home. "Carole," he said when his step-mother answered. "Um…is it okay if Blaine comes to supper with me tonight?"

"Of course!" Carole exclaimed. "Does this mean you two are back together? Because you know your father and I wouldn't mind that one bit."

"Blaine and I are back together," Kurt confirmed.

"As far as I'm concerned we never broke up!" Blaine countered. "I can't wait for your lasagne, Carole!" he called.

"I can't wait to see him too," Carole said. "Will you boys pick up a couple bottles of sparkling cider on your way home?"

"I think we can do that?" Kurt turned to look at Blaine. "Carole needs us to pick up sparkling cider. What do you want to bet they want to toast us being back together?"

"I like that idea," Blaine said. "We're on it, Carole. See you when we get there!"

"Bye, honey," Carole said to Kurt.

Once off the phone, Kurt turned up the radio, his tacit way of saying there wasn't going to be any more serious talk on the way to his house. Which was exactly as Blaine wanted it. He planned to try to get Kurt to open up to him that night, and giving him a reprieve now would potentially make it easier later.

Nearly an hour later, Blaine slowed the car to a stop outside the Hummel-Hudson house, and gave Kurt a small smile. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"We are not telling my family what happened. Not while Rachel is here," Kurt said. "She will tell everyone. She'll pretend she's doing it to let them know what happened, so they can be nice to me, but you and I both know that it's because she has to have the news first. I love her, she's my sister, but sometimes…"

Blaine nodded. "I understand," he said. "We'll talk to your parents when we can get them alone," he said. "But you need to tell them. Tonight."

"I don't want to hurt them, Blaine," Kurt said meaningfully. "There are things I will leave out."

"Understood. And I won't talk about them. But you need to work through this, to let them know what happened to you. The…the rape at the very least. You don't have to talk about what you were going to do after regionals, but you have to talk about the rape."

Kurt nodded. "Just…let me see what kind of frame of mind they're in. Carole's been working on her lasagne all day, and dad's been at the shop, so they might be too tired."

"You're not backing out, are you?" Blaine asked.

"No…well, maybe." Kurt leaned over and hugged Blaine quickly. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For being so persistent, for not giving up on me. For loving me. Now let's go, they know we're here, and Dad and Carole are going to start wondering why we haven't come inside yet."

Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and met him at the curb, sparkling cider in hand. They walked, again holding hands, into the house.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**If I receive enough feedback to keep me interested in writing. Reviews are better than air. Today (January 10, 2012) I received my first review that contained constructive criticism. Thank you, it is much appreciated. I had considered the impact of five minutes of song, which, while it might happen on the show, it does so with an immense amount of theatricality, which isn't present here. So I'll cut it down to the applicable lyrics, or just a piece of the song. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep the reviews coming!  
><strong>


	3. Burt and Carole

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3 - Burt and Carole<p>

"Blaine!" Carole exclaimed, rushing up and hugging the teen, kissing his cheeks, then taking the bag from him. "It is so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Carole," he said, slipping out of his shoes and lining them up near the door. He turned to Burt, sitting in his chair with a light beer in hand. "And you, Mr. Hummel, sir. It's good to see you as well."

"Boy, my name is Burt. I've told you that before. It should be easy enough for you to remember. It's your boyfriend's name, with the first letter of your name attached."

That made Blaine smile. "Yes, sir, I mean, Burt," he said. He looked at Carole. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, you boys just sit in the living room with Burt. There's a game of some sort on. Dinner is almost ready, because Finn and Rachel are going to a movie tonight and wanted to have supper at home first." Carole disappeared back into the kitchen.

"You go sit down, I'll get us some drinks," Kurt said, squeezing Blaine's hand. "Ginger ale alright with you?"

"Ginger ale is perfect," Blaine said. He offered Kurt an encouraging smile as they stepped apart.

Kurt walked into the kitchen, where Carole had already pulled out glasses and filled them with ice. "Here you go, honey," she said, pulling out a bottle of ginger ale. She put the sparkling cider in the refrigerator to chill.

"Thank you, Carole," Kurt said. He filled the two glasses. "Um, so Finn and Rachel are going out tonight? Are you and Dad going to be home? I…Blaine and I need to talk to you guys about something."

"We were going to take a walk after dinner, but it can wait. As soon as Rachel and Finn leave, the four of us can sit down and talk about whatever you need."

Kurt nodded. "Thanks," he said again. He carried the glasses into the living room.

While Kurt was gone, Blaine had perched himself on the edge of the loveseat. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home, Burt. This week has been…difficult, to say the least."

"Well as long as you two are happy, that's all that matters," Burt said. "I'm proud of my son, I wouldn't trade him for anything. But I want him happy, healthy, and whole. You do that for him. Just…keep the bedroom door open, alright?"

"Dad!" Kurt exclaimed, walking into the room, glasses in hand. "Blaine and I aren't doing anything like that!"

"You're telling me you two aren't sexually active," Burt asked, somewhat skeptically.

Both Blaine and Kurt flushed a deep red, but both shook their heads emphatically. "Sir, Burt, Kurt and I agree that we have all the time in the world for that, and we're taking things slow," Blaine said. "We both want to be comfortable."

"That's good," Burt said. "Very good to know. I just want you two to know I'm not picking on you because you're gay. I don't want Finn to have sex in this house either."

"Oh, come on!" Finn exclaimed as he and Rachel walked into the house with impeccable timing. "Please tell me we aren't having the sex talk tonight."

"No," Burt said. "I was talking to the boys about something and used you as an example. Supper's almost ready."

"I'll go help Carole," Rachel said. She skipped into the kitchen.

Finn sat down on the couch, leaving Kurt to settle onto the loveseat with Blaine. The two had always tried to keep a low profile on their PDA when around Kurt's family, but tonight was different. Tonight they held hands, clutching each other like lifelines. They only separated when it came time to eat supper in the dining room. Burt poured each one a glass of cider, and proposed a toast.

"To our little extended family," Burt said, raising his glass. "May every member be content and happy, and know you'll always have a place under our roof."

"Cheers!" the other five chorused. Rachel looked like she wanted to add something, but a look from Finn had her closing her mouth and turning back to her lasagne.

Kurt pushed his food around in circles, piling the lasagne up in bites to make it look like he was eating. Blaine noticed that barely any food actually made it into Kurt's mouth. It hurt him to know that Kurt was in so much pain he couldn't bring himself to eat. He brushed his foot against Kurt's calf, hoping to elicit at least a smile. Instead, Kurt flushed, brought a hand up to his mouth and giggled silently. A better reaction than Blaine had hoped for.

Finn was oblivious to the play between the two, and Rachel told herself it was because they'd just gotten back together, mentally citing how she and Finn had acted in the weeks after their triumphant reunion at Nationals the previous year. Burt and Carole, however, could tell something was up. Carole stopped Burt from saying anything until after Finn and Rachel left for the movie. Then, smiling gently, she directed them to the living room. She'd made tea and coffee, and brought it in on a tray.

"Are we going for our walk?" Burt asked, eyeing the coffee.

"In a little while. Kurt told me before dinner that he and Blaine had something they wanted to talk to us about," Carole said. "So I thought I'd make us tea and coffee so we could relax and talk."

"What's wrong?" Burt asked, pouring himself some coffee. "I could tell all through dinner that something was bothering you, Kurt. What is it?"

Kurt looked down at his hands, entwined with Blaine's, ignoring the coffee the latter had poured for him. "Carole," he said, directing his attention to his step-mother. "I'm sure you already suspect this, but, last Saturday night, something happened to me." He blinked back tears, and Blaine automatically reached for a tissue, dabbing at his boyfriend's eyes. "And before I tell you what it was, you have to know Blaine had nothing to do with it, okay? I broke up with him because of it, but he didn't do anything wrong."

"Alright," Burt said. "What happened?"

"I was raped," Kurt said, so quietly it was barely audible. "By a stranger at a truck stop. He attacked me when I stopped to fill my car with gas, and he raped me."

"Which explains the blood, and the hidden clothes," Carole said quietly. The horror she felt was reflected in her eyes, but she merely reached over and patted Kurt's shoulder. "Honey, why didn't you tell us?" she asked. "You have to know we would have just wanted to help."

"Because I didn't want you to know!" Kurt said. "I didn't want anyone to know. And no one would have, except that Blaine cornered me today."

"In the girl's bathroom, no less," Blaine said, a tiny smile crossing his face. "I walked in there and demanded that he tell me the truth. And he finally did. It explained everything, except one thing. Kurt, why did you think you weren't good enough for me anymore?"

"I'm damaged goods," Kurt said simply. "I still don't think I'm good enough for you. But you're very persistent." That earned him a smile from Blaine.

Burt, who had said nothing, stood up and paced the living room. "I'm calling the cops," he said.

"Dad, no!" Kurt exclaimed. "I can't describe him, it was a week ago. And he used a condom, so there wouldn't have been any evidence, even then. I just want to forget this all happened. The physical pains will heal, and I'll be back to normal soon enough."

"Kurt, honey," Carole said gently. "I know it's been six days, but I want you to go to the hospital and get checked out. I'll drive you. Why don't you get your coat and shoes?"

"No!" Kurt exclaimed again, his pitch rising higher with each outburst. "I'm not going to the emergency room on a Friday night. Do you have any idea what sort of crazies are there? It's a bad idea."

"I think it's a good idea," Burt said. "In fact, I'm going to insist on it. So don't fight it, let's just get you checked out."

Kurt looked to Blaine for help, but didn't find any in his boyfriend's shining hazel eyes, bright with unshed tears. "Kurt, your parents are right," he said quietly. "We need to know if he did any permanent damage. But I'll take you, and stay with you the entire time. And I promise you, I'll never look away from your face. Not once."

Carole smiled at the depth of love between the two. "I would be alright with that," she said. "As long as you call me from the hospital when you get there, so I know you actually went, and as long as you come straight home and go straight to bed afterwards, Kurt."

"How about a compromise?" Kurt asked. "Blaine stays the night, yes, Dad, with the door open, and in the morning, I let him drive me to the health clinic. That way we don't have to tie up the emergency room with something that happened a week ago, and I see a doctor."

"I like all of that except the Blaine staying the night part," Burt said. "Not sure how I feel about that."

"Mr. Hummel, Burt," Blaine said, immediately coming to Kurt's defense. "Look at him. He's obviously in no shape for being inappropriate, as you call it. I think he and I both need some time to come to terms with all of this, and, to be honest, I'm not ready to be away from him yet tonight."

"Carole, honey, what do you think?" Burt asked.

"Blaine's right, dear, there's not a chance in this world that they'd get up to anything more intimate than holding one another." She looked over and saw that Kurt was blushing redder than she'd ever seen. "And if he's promising to take care of Kurt tomorrow, while we both have to work, I think being a slight bit uncomfortable for one evening is a small price to pay." She smiled at Kurt and Blaine. "Is there anything else you need to tell us?"

Kurt sighed, a shaky sigh. "No," he said quietly. "I'm not going to share the sordid details, and I need time to work through how I'm feeling about this."

Something occurred to Burt. "Kurt, you wear your heart on your sleeve. I know I've been busy this week, and I've missed a lot, but how long did you really think you could pull off keeping something like this a secret?"

Blaine went pale, but kept his promise and said nothing. He merely squeezed Kurt's hand. Kurt, for his part, sighed softly. "I…I was going to kill myself," he said quietly.

"What?" Carole cried. Burt clenched his hands into fists and said nothing. "Kurt, why?" she exclaimed.

"Between the bullying, which, yeah, has gotten loads better, and the rape, and all the pain, I just didn't want to deal with life anymore. But…" Kurt sighed. "But Blaine changed all that. I don't feel that way anymore, Dad, Carole. I promise."

"You're going to see a counselor," Burt said firmly. "As soon as I can arrange it."

Kurt bit back an automatic protest. He knew his father was right. "Will you settle for Ms. Pillsbury?" he asked quietly.

"You can start with Ms. Pillsbury, but if she suggests you see someone else, you're going," Burt said resolutely.

"I think he's right," Blaine said quietly. He couldn't resist the urge to press his forehead to Kurt's temple.

"I know he is," Kurt said. "I can't do this by myself. As much as I would like to. I'm going to need help to get through this." And he knew Ms. Pillsbury would help him.

Carole got up and hugged Kurt tightly, pulling Blaine into the embrace as well. "I love you boys," she said. "And we'll work through this. I promise."

"Thank you, Carole," Kurt said, his voice barely a whisper. He extricated himself from the embrace and stood, walking over to his dad. "Dad, can you forgive me?"

Burt pulled Kurt into a hug, cradling his son's head to his shoulder. "There's nothing to forgive," he whispered. "You're my son, and I love you, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you. It was selfish and wrong of you to consider killing yourself over something we can fix, but I understand why you did it. We're going to get you through this, Kurt. We're going to get us through this."

Blaine walked over and placed a hand on Kurt's arm. "Thank you, Burt, for being so supportive of your son," he said. "It means a lot to me to see it."

"You don't have the same at home, do you," Burt asked.

Blaine shook his head. "Why do you think I spend so much time over here?" he asked. "A loving, accepting environment? It's more than I could ever hope for. Dad said he paid for Dalton to help me, but really, I think he just wanted me ninety minutes away from the house. He wasn't thrilled when I transferred to McKinley."

"I think it's time we leave you two alone to talk," Carole said. "Burt and I need to take our evening walk."

"But," Burt said, holding up a finger.

"We know, Dad, no being inappropriate," Kurt said. "Believe me, Blaine and I have a lot to talk about. And I have no energy for anything else. Alright?"

Burt nodded. "Alright," he said. "Let's go, Carole." He reached for his wife's hand and led her toward the door. They put their shoes and coats on and walked outside. "I can't believe this," he said quietly.

"Neither can I," Carole said. "Poor Kurt. He's so young…"

"And so inexperienced," Burt said. "I mean, when I forced him to have that talk about sex, he knew nothing, Carole. About sex in general, much less about sex between men. And now, to be introduced to it so….horribly." He shook his head. "Carole, what do we do?"

"We make sure he knows we're here for him, that we don't judge him, and," Carole turned toward Burt and looked into his eyes, "we accept that he and Blaine are serious about one another, and we give them a safe place to be together."

Burt sighed. "I don't know that I'm ready to take things that far. But I'll consider it."

"That's all I can ask," Carole said. "Now. About that walk." The two set off on their normal evening path.

Back in the house, after Carole and Burt had left, Blaine took Kurt's hands in his and squeezed them gently. "Do you want to talk here, or go to your room?"

"My room," Kurt said immediately. "There are things I want to tell you, and I…I need to be comfortable to do that."

"Can I borrow some pajamas?" Blaine asked. "Since I'm apparently staying the night and all."

"Of course," Kurt said. He tugged Blaine up the stairs and into his bedroom, carefully leaving the door halfway open. But once inside, Kurt paused. "Blaine," he said, a note of urgency in his voice. "Could…that is, I'd rather change separately."

Blaine frowned. "Of course," he said. "Whatever makes you comfortable." He took the offered pants and shirt. "I'll just go into the bathroom, alright?"

"Sure," Kurt said. He waited until Blaine was in the bathroom, and changed into pajamas as quickly as possible. Then he tugged the covers back on the bed, pulling off the towel that had been protecting his sheets. He was about to toss it into the hamper when Blaine opened the bathroom door and walked out. "Blaine!" he squeaked, hiding the towel behind him.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, rushing over.

"Just, close your eyes," Kurt said. "There's something I don't want you to see."

"What is it?" Blaine asked. "C'mon, Kurt, you promised to tell me everything. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Kurt said. "Just…I had to put a towel on the sheets the last week, to make sure the sheets weren't ruined."

"You're still bleeding that much?" Blaine asked incredulously.

Kurt simply nodded. "I am," he said.

"Then you should probably get another towel for tonight," Blaine said gently. "What about your clothing? I know how particular you are…" He followed Kurt into the bathroom, where the taller boy pulled another thick black towel off a shelf.

"I'm going to have to earmark more than half my summer wardrobe allowance to replace the clothing I've ruined this week," Kurt said. "But as I thought I wasn't going to be around much longer, I…I really didn't care."

"The day Kurt Hummel doesn't care about his clothing is the day the sun refuses to shine," Blaine said with a smile. He helped Kurt spread the towel across the sheets. "Now, let's talk."

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><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, I receive any feedback that says it's wanted.**


	4. Blaine, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Lady Antebellum or their music, and sadly, I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4 - Blaine, Part 2<p>

Kurt laid down on the bed and waited for Blaine to join him. After popping his iPod into Kurt's stereo, just in case they ended up wanting music, Blaine walked over to the bed. The two cuddled together under the thick, luxurious comforter. "I don't know where to start," Kurt said, looking to Blaine for help, the younger boy's face illuminated in the soft light of the bedside lamp, the only light on in the room.

"Do you want to share the details?" Blaine asked quietly, stroking Kurt's cheek. "It would help me if I knew what you'd gone through."

"I don't know. I don't want you to think less of me for it," Kurt demurred.

"That's never going to happen," Blaine said with a half-smile. "Look, Kurt, I know what you went through was horrible, and I'm sure you don't want to relive it, but I think you need to. At least so I can understand. So I can try to help."

Kurt took a deep breath. "Blaine, another man got me off. My first orgasm not in my sleep wasn't at your hands, or even my own! I really don't think that's something you want to hear the details of."

"How did he do it?" Blaine asked. "I know talking about sex makes you uncomfortable. But it's going to be an elephant in the room until we talk about this."

"He touched me," Kurt said. "Inside. I got hard. And then I came. All over. God, Blaine, it was humiliating! And all the while, he was thrusting, pushing, tearing me apart!" The choked sobs came then as Kurt melted, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Blaine took a deep breath. "Kurt, baby," he whispered, pulling Kurt's head onto his chest. "I have to ask you a question. And I'm not going to be mad at you, no matter the answer, alright?" When Kurt nodded, calming slightly, he continued. "Did it actually feel good, or did you just ejaculate?" he asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Kurt said quietly. He sat up and looked down at Blaine.

"I'm asking if you had an actual orgasm, or if you just ejaculated," Blaine said. "There's a huge difference, you know."

Kurt frowned. "There is?" he asked, showing how sheltered he truly was.

"Yes," Blaine said firmly. "Absolutely! One is something you want, one is something that happens. Your body will get hard, and it'll come, that's involuntary. But the pleasure is entirely separate. Trust me on this. Did you know men can actually ejaculate without having an orgasm?"

"Blaine, I'm getting completely uncomfortable here," Kurt said, bringing his fingers up to his ears. "Please, stop."

Blaine stroked Kurt's hair. "Alright," he said. "But just so you know, I'm certain that's what's happened. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Even if you had felt pleasure, there's still nothing to be ashamed of."

"It hurt," Kurt said. "It hurt so incredibly bad, I thought I was going to die right then and there. I wanted to die, the pain was so bad." He looked across the room, lost in the memories. "He pinned me down, tore off my clothing, and thrust his…himself into me, without any more lubrication than was on the condom he was wearing."

"At least he wore one," Blaine muttered. "But…if he did as much damage as you've said, I don't understand how."

Kurt shuddered. "He penetrated…sodomized me with something else. I don't know what. I didn't want to know. But it was cold, and hard…"

"Dear God!" Blaine exclaimed. "Kurt, I've changed my mind. Get dressed, I'm taking you to the hospital, and now." He jumped up from the bed and began changing back into his clothing, dropping the pajama pants and reaching for his slacks.

Kurt closed his eyes. "Blaine, stop," he said. "I'm not going anywhere tonight. I've dealt with this for six days. Another twelve hours isn't going to make any difference. Put your pajamas back on and come back to bed."

"What else did he do?" Blaine asked. "And don't say nothing, because I know that isn't true. You'll have to tell the doctors tomorrow, so you might as well share it with me tonight so I'm not surprised."

"He threatened to kill me if I didn't let him do to me whatever he wanted," Kurt said quietly. "So I did. I let him do what he wanted. Are you dressed again?"

"Kurt, are your eyes closed?" Blaine asked incredulously. He pulled the pajama pants back on.

"I don't want to see you without your clothes on," Kurt said. "I'm not ready for that."

Blaine walked back to the bed. "I'm dressed," he said. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I just want to help you. Please, Kurt…let me help you…"

"Just, there's so much more," Kurt sighed. He stood up and pulled off the long-sleeved t-shirt he wore, exposing his chest and abdomen. His bruised chest and abdomen.

Blaine gasped. "Oh, baby," he said softly. "I'll be right back with the arnica." He walked into the bathroom, found the tube of arnica gel, and brought it back. "Will you let me put this on you?" he asked.

Kurt laid down on the bed, shivering slightly. He was stiff as a board, shaking as Blaine sat beside him and opened the tube of pain and inflammation reducing gel. "Thank you," Kurt said.

"Is that a bite mark?" Blaine asked softly, looking at Kurt's shoulder. "My God, what did that man do to you?"

"You don't know what it's like!" Kurt exclaimed. "I was paralyzed with fear. Completely paralyzed! I couldn't stop it from happening, I could do nothing! So helpless. So weak." His words took on a tone of disgust, at himself, at his attacker, at the situation.

"I wish you'd just called me," Blaine murmured, smoothing the gel over the bruises on Kurt's pale body. "I so wish you hadn't chosen to go through this alone. I know why you did it, and again, I'm not mad at you. I just…"

"You're hurting, and it's all my fault," Kurt said. "I'm so sorry, Blaine."

"Stop apologizing, sweetheart," Blaine said, continuing to smooth the gel into the bruises. His only goal was to make Kurt feel better.

And it was working. The gentle massage soothed Kurt until he was nearly drifting off. "Do you have any other questions?" Kurt asked as he roused himself.

"Just one. And this is the only one I'll let you decline to answer," Blaine said, pressing a light kiss to Kurt's shoulder, over the ugly bite-shaped bruise. "How were you going to do it?"

The question required no explanation. Kurt closed his eyes, silently cursing the tears that seeped out onto his cheeks. He rolled over, bracing himself against Blaine as he pulled the shoebox out from under his bed. "It was foolproof," he said quietly. "Sleeping pills, Dramamine, a warm bath, and a razor blade. I would have drifted off to sleep in the warm water, and everything would have been over." Kurt opened the box. "I had everything ready to go. Including our prom picture. Something to focus on as I drifted away."

Blaine nodded, placing his hand over Kurt's to keep the boy from actually opening the box. "It might have been a foolproof plan, but if you ever even try to go through with this, I swear, I will never let you forget it, or live it down."

Kurt actually smiled. "Thank you," he said. "For loving me. For being here. For being you."

"You're my life, my world," Blaine said. "Now let's get your shirt back on before your Dad and Carole come up to check on us." He picked up the shirt and helped Kurt tug it back over his head. "Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?"

"I need to get up and do my moisturizing routine, but…" his lack of energy was evident.

"Worry not, love," Blaine said gallantly. "I'll bring it to you." He stood and gathered the bottles and pads, as well as a clean washcloth. There were few words between the boys as they cleansed their skin together, with Blaine helping to make sure Kurt got every spec of cleanser off his smooth, delicate skin. "You are so beautiful," he said, pressing a light kiss to Kurt's lips.

Kurt merely smiled. "Blaine, would you mind getting me one more thing?" he asked.

"Not at all, what is it?" he asked, cleaning up from their facials.

"I think I need some extra painkillers tonight," Kurt admitted. "Just a few Tylenol."

Blaine could see how much it took for Kurt to admit the pain he was in. He said nothing, but brought back the pills and a glass of water. He stood by while Kurt swallowed the pills, then crawled back into bed beside him. "Feel better?" he asked.

Kurt nodded and leaned over to turn out the light. "It's only seven o'clock," he said.

"And you've had a rough week," Blaine soothed. "Go to sleep, I'll be here if you need me."

"I'll always need you. Blaine, what did you do this week? While we were apart?" Kurt asked sleepily, snuggling into his boyfriend.

"Cried, mostly," Blaine admitted. "Wrote some awful song lyrics, and no, you can't hear them, sang a lot of sad songs. Mostly, I just missed you."

"I'm sorry," Kurt murmured. "So sorry to have put you through this. I, on the other hand, spent those four nights researching suicide and writing letters to everyone. Not exactly my finest moment either."

"You even wrote letters?" Blaine asked, not wanting to hear any of this.

"The stack of envelopes in the box. Would you like to read them?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Blaine said. "Did you write one for me?" he asked shyly.

"Yours was the first I wrote. And the last. And five or six drafts in between. Yours was the hardest. Do you want to read it?"

"I think I'd rather burn them all," Blaine said. "I don't like thinking about you killing yourself."

"Okay," Kurt said quietly. "I'll just leave them for now. They express how I feel about everyone I love. Maybe I'll use parts of them to sign peoples' yearbooks this year." The last was said with a smile.

Blaine couldn't help but smile as well. "Your flair for the dramatic never fails to bring a smile to my face." He trailed his fingers across Kurt's cheek. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked softly.

"With your help, how can I not?" Kurt asked, just as softly. "You have always been my strength, brought me courage. How could I have been so foolish as to not remember that?"

"Gut reaction," Blaine said. "You've had enough trauma for awhile. You shut down."

"You're pretty smart," Kurt responded. "Have I ever told you that?"

Blaine merely smiled and pulled Kurt closer. "Are you feeling relaxed enough to sleep?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kurt said. "Tired enough, yes. Relaxed enough, well…"

"Can you lie on your stomach? I'll rub your back awhile, see if that doesn't help," Blaine offered. Kurt nodded, and rolled over. "That's it," Blaine said. He rose up over top of Kurt and pressed his hand lightly against the older boy's back.

Kurt sucked in a deep breath, and tried to calm the pounding of his heart. But it quickly became too much. "Blaine, stop!" he cried. He rolled away, sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking.

"What is it, love?" Blaine asked, confused. "What did I do?"

"Nothing!" Kurt exclaimed, beginning to cry again. "Nothing at all. I just….the same position, facedown, the pressure…it brought back everything!"

"Oh God," Blaine said. He sighed. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to do that to you. I never want to hurt you."

"It's not your fault," Kurt whispered, swiping at the tears with an angry hand. "Why can't I stop crying?" he asked. "This is ridiculous!"

"Shh," Blaine whispered. "Come here," he said. "I want to hold you…is that alright?"

Kurt nodded. "As long as I can see your face, I'm fine," he said. He rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. "I'm really embarrassed right now," he said. "And not at all ready to sleep anymore."

"Then let's dance," Blaine said suddenly. "A nice slow dance. Get close to one another without any pressure." He picked up the stereo remote and keyed up a slow song. "Come here."

Kurt went willingly into Blaine's arms, pressing a light kiss to his boyfriend's forehead. It was the first kiss he'd initiated since their reunion, and it was the barest brush of lips.

Blaine smiled up at him. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," Kurt said softly. His clear countertenor filled the room as the lyrics began. He and Blaine traded off throughout the song, singing softly to one another along with the beautiful voices that made up the group Lady Antebellum.

_Lyin' here with you so close to me_  
><em>It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe<em>  
><em>Caught up in this moment<em>  
><em>Caught up in your smile<em>

_I've never opened up to anyone_  
><em>So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms<em>  
><em>We don't need to rush this<em>  
><em>Let's just take it slow<em>

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_  
><em>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<em>  
><em>No, I don't wanna mess this thing up<em>  
><em>No, I don't wanna push too far<em>  
><em>Just a shot in the dark that you just might<em>  
><em>Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<em>  
><em>So baby, I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight<em>

_I know that if we give this a little time_  
><em>It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find<em>  
><em>It's never felt so real, no it's never felt so right<em>

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<br>No, I don't wanna mess this thing up  
>No, I don't wanna push too far<br>Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
>Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<br>So baby, I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight_

_No, I don't want to say goodnight_  
><em>I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams<em>  
><em>Tonight<em>  
><em>Tonight<em>  
><em>Tonight<em>

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_  
><em>Just a touch of the fire burning so bright<em>  
><em>No, I don't wanna mess this thing up<em>  
><em>I don't wanna push too far<em>  
><em>Just a shot in the dark that you just might<em>  
><em>Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life<em>  
><em>So baby, I'm alright,<em>

_Ooh, let's do this right,_  
><em>Just a kiss goodnight<em>  
><em>Just a kiss goodnight<em>  
><em>Kiss goodnight<em>

"I love it when you sing to me," Blaine said, kissing Kurt again.

"I love it when you sing with me," Kurt countered. "I think I can relax now," he murmured. He tugged Blaine back to the bed with him. "Can it be bedtime now?"

Blaine smiled indulgently. "Of course, love," he said, turning down the volume of the music. He helped Kurt into bed and crawled in beside him. Pulling Kurt onto his side, he revelled in the feel of his boyfriend tucked close against him. He reached over and turned off the light, plunging the room into near darkness, save for the moonlight casting shadows through the blinds. It was early, but after the stress of the day, both boys fell asleep fairly quickly.

Carole poured two glasses of red wine. "You put the movie in, I'm going up to check on the boys," she directed her husband. She walked on silent feet up the stairs and peeked into the room through the open door. What she saw brought a smile to her face. The two boys, curled up around one another, obviously fully clothed, hands where she could see them all. The determined look on Blaine's face, even in sleep, told her she had nothing to worry about. Blaine would protect Kurt, no matter what. She pulled the door shut, not wanting to wake them when she and Burt started their evening movie.

Kurt slept fitfully, tossing and turning. He woke Blaine on several occasions without meaning to, and Blaine merely whispered to him, kissed him, and held him until he settled back down. Not a restful night, but Blaine didn't care. He was there for Kurt, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, I receive any feedback that says it's wanted.**


	5. Finn

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. The next few chapters are shorter, but I'm posting them more often, so that should make up for it. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5 - Finn<p>

He broke off the kiss. "Rachel," Finn breathed, leaning his forehead against hers. "We gotta stop. I promised your dads I wouldn't keep you out all night, and I really gotta get home."

The pretty brunette pouted. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked.

"I can't wait," the quarterback responded honestly. He shut off his truck and walked around to the other side, opening her door. Taking her hand, he walked her up to the front door of the house she shared with her dads.

"I hope Kurt and Blaine are alright," Rachel said. "They are absolutely miserable apart."

"That's kinda why I want to get home," Finn admitted. "I want to make sure everything's okay. So, um, goodnight."

Rachel nodded. She stood on tiptoe to meet his lips for one last searing kiss, then pulled back. "Goodnight, Finn," she murmured. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Finn said. He waited until she was safely inside, then turned and went back to his car, driving across town. He drove automatically, half-lost in the sweet memory of Rachel's lips on his. He was surprised to find Blaine's car still parked behind Kurt's. Surely the boy wasn't still at the house.

Cautiously, in case the two were making out on the couch again, Finn let himself into the house. Keeping his eyes closed, he toed off his shoes and felt his way toward the stairs, intending to go straight to his room.

"Finn, honey, what in the world are you doing?" Carole asked from her position on the couch. Burt leaned over and paused the movie.

"Uh, protecting my eyes in case Blaine and Kurt were making out on the couch," Finn explained sheepishly. "I noticed Blaine's car is still outside. Is he still here?"

"Honey, come sit down with us. We have something we need to talk to you about," Carole said.

"What's going on?" Finn asked, sitting down on the loveseat. "Is Blaine staying the night? Because that is really unfair."

"Yes, Finn, Blaine is staying the night. But before you get upset, there's something we need to tell you. Something you cannot tell another soul. Even Rachel," Burt said. "Understand?"

Finn nodded. "I get it," he said. "Now what's going on?"

"Finn, honey," Carole leaned over and squeezed her son's hand. She looked to Burt, who nodded and took over.

"Last Saturday night, on his way home from Blaine's," Burt began, "Kurt was attacked. He…" he swallowed hard. "Finn, your brother was raped. Given the…extenuating circumstances, we agreed that Blaine could stay the night."

"Wait, what?" Finn asked incredulously. "Kurt was…like…oh God." He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself.

"I shut the bedroom door when Burt and I sat down to watch the movie. I didn't want the noise disturbing them. They're already asleep, your brother has had a very long week and I don't think he's been sleeping well lately."

"Are you sure they're asleep?" Finn asked. "I wanna see if he's okay, if there's anything I can do…"

"Just wait until morning," Burt suggested. "Let them get their rest. And remember, you can't tell anyone until you talk to Kurt about this. Including Rachel. I think the people in this house, and the man who did it, are the only ones who know about it."

Finn nodded slowly. "Man," he said, shaking his head. "I hope he's okay. Goodnight, mom, Burt." He stood and slowly, distractedly, made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He heard the quiet music coming through Kurt's door and paused, wondering if maybe his mom was wrong. But the lights were off, and he heard the soft noise of Blaine snoring on the other side of the door, so he walked on to his bedroom. He smiled slightly to himself. He knew from the time they'd shared a room that Kurt didn't snore at all, so it must have been Blaine.

The next morning found Blaine making French toast for the family, brewing fresh coffee, and trying to coax Kurt to eat. "C'mon," he said. "It's good…and you have to eat."

Kurt shook his head. "I'm not hungry," he said. It wasn't true, his stomach was gnawing at itself, but he couldn't bring himself to swallow a bite. He sipped his coffee. "You go ahead."

"Just a few bites?" Blaine asked with a boyish smile.

"Blaine, drop it!" Kurt exclaimed. "I'm not hungry."

"Hey Kurt, Blaine," Finn said sleepily, walking into the kitchen. "How ya feeling, man?" he asked Kurt.

"Like shit," Kurt said baldly. "I suppose Dad and Carole told you what happened."

"They kinda had to," Finn said sheepishly. "I was about to have a major problem with Blaine staying the night."

"I figured it was something like that," Kurt said quietly. "So, yeah. It happened, it sucks, don't really want to talk about it. I'm sure you understand."

"Kurt, everyone's been so worried about you this week," Finn said. "They're going to need to know something."

"By everyone, I suppose you mean Rachel," Kurt said. "Look, Finn, I'm in no way, shape or form ready to tell any of the kids at school what happened to me. You tell one, the entire school knows by lunch. I'd rather you didn't say anything."

"They're going to ask questions," Finn said.

"Maybe we should just tell them that Kurt was the victim of a hate crime," Blaine suggested. "Leave out the specifics, let them believe what they will."

Kurt nodded slowly. "I'd be okay with that. But no details," he cautioned. "Not at all. Got it?"

"Got it. No details. I can do that." Finn made himself a plate and walked out of the room.

"This has disaster written all over it," Kurt moaned, his head in his hands.

"It'll be alright," Blaine said. "Now, since you're not going to eat, and I've made enough French toast to feed an army, or at least a high school football team, we should get going. I promised you we'd get some things done today."

Kurt sighed, but nodded. He'd already showered and dressed while Blaine was cooking. "Do you want to take a shower first?" he asked.

"That's a good idea," Blaine smiled. "You enjoy your coffee. I'll be back in ten minutes. Just gotta run out to my car and grab some clean clothes." Palming his keys off the kitchen counter, he dropped a kiss onto the top of Kurt's head and strode past him.

'Why did he have a change of clothes in his car?' Kurt wondered. 'This wasn't planned…' But he said nothing, finishing his coffee while Blaine went to get ready for the day.

"Are you ready?" Blaine asked, walking back into the kitchen, his hair gelled perfectly, bow-tie on straight.

"I'll never be ready for this," Kurt said. "But we should probably go. Get it over with."

"I'll be with you the entire time," Blaine promised. He led Kurt out to the car and opened the passenger side door. "We'll get your car detailed this evening, I promise," he said.

"Thanks," Kurt said softly. He sat, silent, as Blaine drove them to the Lima Medical Clinic. Hand-in-hand they walked through the door. Kurt quietly gave his name to the woman at the front desk and told her they were there to see a doctor.

"Do you want to see a male or female doctor today, Kurt?" the receptionist asked softly, noting the haunted look in the boy's eyes.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance, and Kurt turned back to the receptionist, taking a deep breath. "I think I'd like a female doctor," he said.

"Certainly. There's about a twenty minute wait. Why don't you have a seat?" She directed them to the chairs.

"Thank you," Blaine said. He led Kurt over to the chairs and sat down next to him.

Kurt fumbled in his messenger bag and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer. This he shared with Blaine. Once somewhat protected from the germs that had to be floating around the room, he was able to relax a bit.

Blaine held his hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. They sat that way, silently, until his name was called. "Let's go," Blaine said softly. "Be strong."

* * *

><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, the reviews continue...next chapter is rough, the following ones should be good for a little while.**


	6. The Authorities

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. This was the hardest chapter to write so far, medical stuff that could potentially really trigger. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

**Note: This chapter is posted all together, even though it was originally two separate short chapters. But I figured, it's all the same setting, it's all the same subject, so it's subdivided into two parts here. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6 - The Authorities<p>

_Part One - Dr. McAllister_

Kurt nodded, and followed the receptionist to an exam room. "Why do you need to see the doctor today?" she asked pleasantly.

"I…" Kurt looked at Blaine for help. Talking about it was getting easier, but this was the first total stranger he was faced with telling his story to.

"Kurt was sexually assaulted nearly a week ago," Blaine said. "His injuries aren't healing the way we'd like."

The receptionist pulled a faded drape out of a drawer and laid it on the exam table. "Take off everything from the waist down, and put this over your lap, The doctor will be in shortly." She left the room.

"Forget it," Kurt said. "This…I don't even know what color to call this, this…drape…is going to completely wash me out. Let's just go. I'll be fine."

"Not a chance. You won't have to wear it for long. And I'm not letting you leave." Blaine placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. "When it's all over, I'll take you out for coffee, lunch, new clothes, whatever you like. Now do as she said or I'll do it for you."

"Don't even joke about that!" Kurt exclaimed with a shudder. "Now turn your back or go into the hall."

Blaine spun around so fast, it actually brought a smile to Kurt's face. "Let me know when you're ready."

"I will never be ready for this." Kurt took off his clothing as quickly as possible, folding them carefully and placing his shoes on the floor under the chair. Then he sat down on the exam table, the drape held tight over his hips. "Not exactly how I'd envisioned being naked with you for the first time," he muttered. "You can turn around now."

Blaine turned slowly to face his boyfriend, and his heart broke at the sight of Kurt's fallen face, so forlorn, staring at his feet. "We're going to solve this," he promised. "We're going to make it better. I promise," he squeezed Kurt's hand.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door, and a pretty young woman walked in. "Good morning," she said pleasantly. "I'm Dr. McAllister. How are you doing today?"

"I'm Kurt, and this is my boyfriend Blaine," Kurt said. "I'm not going to lie. I don't want to be here, and I really don't want Blaine hearing the details, but I can't, I won't, do this alone."

Dr. McAllister nodded. "Alright, Kurt. Let's start with you telling me what happened, and then I'll examine you. If you need to stop things at any time, just say the word. We'll go as slow as you need to. When did this happen?"

"Last Saturday night," Kurt said. "It was…he was a stranger. I'd never seen him before in my life. He used a condom, but he tore me up pretty badly."

"Is this the first time you're seeking medical attention?" the doctor asked.

"It is. I wouldn't be here at all, but Blaine and my parents insisted," Kurt explained.

"Have you spoken to the police?"

"No, and I don't care to. I waited too long, and there's not going to be any physical evidence."

"Well, unfortunately, as you're a minor, I have no choice but to report this. But if you're not interested in pressing charges, you can tell them that."

"I understand," Kurt said, even though he didn't. "What else do you want to know?"

The doctor guided Kurt through sharing the rest of the details, and, more than once, Blaine had to step in and give an explanation when Kurt just couldn't continue. Finally, the doctor seemed satisfied, finished taking notes, and started gathering supplies for the exam.

"Alright, Kurt. Lie back and let's get this exam over with. I'll be as quick and gentle as possible, but you're going to feel pressure, and probably some pain. Again, tell me if you need to stop and we can take a break. Blaine, you can take a seat if you like."

"I'd rather stay right here," Blaine said, standing at Kurt's head. "If you don't mind." He smiled down at his boyfriend. 'I love you,' he mouthed. Kurt responded in kind, his eyes locked on Blaine's.

Dr. McAllister nodded. It was obvious that the boy lying before her was fragile, and barely staying in the room, and that the other boy was a steadying influence. "Had you been sexually active regularly prior to the assault?" she asked.

"Never," Kurt said. "We…I wasn't ready. I'm not ready. Blaine is my first boyfriend." The exam was embarrassing and excruciatingly painful. He was both incredibly thankful to Blaine for staying, and mortified that Blaine was seeing him like that. Tears rolled down his face. "Blaine, it hurts," he whispered.

"I know, baby. Do you want to stop?" Blaine asked tenderly.

"I just want it over with," Kurt said.

"Almost done," the doctor said. "I'm just going to apply a mildly anesthetic antibiotic ointment. Are you allergic to any medications?"

"No," Kurt said. He continued to lie there as the doctor applied the ointment, and he sighed in relief as the cool gel took affect, easing the worst of his pain. "Thank you," he said.

"Alright, then," Dr. McAllister said, stripping off her gloves and dropping them into a biohazard bin. "You can go ahead and get dressed. I'll be back in a few minutes with some prescriptions. I want you on antibiotics, and I'm giving you more of that cream."

Kurt nodded, and let Blaine help him sit up. The other boy handed Kurt his clothing, then turned his back, studying the posters on the wall. Kurt cleaned himself up with the paper towels left by the doctor, then dressed as quickly as his body would allow. He tried not to look at the drops of blood staining the paper protecting the exam table. His blood.

"I am so proud of you," Blaine said, sitting down with him in the chairs. "You did so well."

"I'm just glad it's over," Kurt said. But it wasn't. Not by a long shot.

The doctor walked back in, prescriptions in hand. "Alright, Kurt, I'm going to ask Blaine to step outside for a moment while I give you some instructions."

"Blaine can stay," Kurt said immediately.

Dr. McAllister smiled indulgently. "Kurt, I understand your trepidation. But there are a few things I need to discuss with you that I don't think you'll want Blaine present for."

"I'll be right outside if you need me." Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand, and left the room.

"Thank you, Blaine," the doctor said. She turned back to Kurt. "Alright. Now, for the oral antibiotics I'm giving you, you'll need to take them with food. Which means you need to start eating. I can tell you're starving yourself. Probably because of a fear of elimination."

"I'm not talking about this," Kurt shook his head. "I'm just not."

"Unless of course you have an eating disorder. Did your issues with food begin before the attack, or after?"

"Okay! I'll start eating, as long as you stop talking about this!" Kurt exclaimed. "But it hurts so bad. And there's so much blood."

"I understand that. But the medication I've prescribed will help you heal. And you need to eat with the antibiotics for your body's sake. You're going to be fine. But I'm also sending you for a battery of blood tests. They'll be repeated at three and six months, and before you decide to have sexual intercourse. Which, I would highly recommend you use a condom for. Every time."

Kurt nodded. "I think it'll be awhile before I get to that point," he said. "But the guy used a condom. Why the tests?"

"Because we're being thorough. To be safe, I'm sending you for the testing. Additionally, I've prescribed two large tubes of the ointment so that you can apply it to any other injuries that you have, like those bruises you mentioned on your torso."

"Is there anything else?" Kurt asked, casting a glance toward the door.

"Just one thing. Our receptionist called the Lima Police, and two female officers are waiting to speak to you. From the limited information we have, they think you're one of several known victims of this guy."

"I won't speak to them without Blaine," Kurt said firmly.

"We have a conference room that you can use to speak to them. You four will be comfortable there."

"I won't be comfortable until this comes to an end," Kurt said.

* * *

><p><em>Part Two - The Lima Police<em>

Blaine was humming under his breath as he returned to the medical clinic, two hot cups of coffee and a large sugar cookie in his hands. He juggled them as he pulled the door open. Kurt was standing in the waiting room, obviously looking for him. "Hey, sweetie. I brought you coffee," he said softly, walking over to the boy.

"You left," Kurt whispered.

"I'm sorry. I saw the officers and thought you might need coffee, and maybe a little sugar, to get you through this." He held up the bagged sugar cookie with a teasing smile.

"Thanks. Come with me? I need to talk to the officers."

"Of course," Blaine said. He handed the latte to Kurt, who took it gratefully and led him down the hall to the conference room set aside for them.

Kurt sipped the latte and made a face. "This is _not_ from the Lima Bean," he said wryly.

"It was what was available. I'll take you to the Lima Bean when we're done here, if you like."

"I have to go have blood tests first. Then we'll see," Kurt said. The two sat down next to each other at the conference table.

"Hello, Kurt," one of the police officers said pleasantly. "I'm Officer Hannigan, and this is my partner, Officer Forbes."

Kurt shook hands with each of the officers. "I'm Kurt Hummel, and this is my boyfriend, Blaine. He's here for moral support."

"You don't have a parent present?" Forbes asked.

"No. I called my dad as Officer Hannigan instructed while we were waiting for Blaine, and he told me I could go ahead and talk to you guys, if I was okay with that. Otherwise, he would come right over."

"Wait, Hummel?" Forbes asked. "Is your father Congressman Hummel?"

"Yes," Kurt said. "I fail to see what that has to do with anything."

"As the child of a congressman, there are certain…media precautions we'll have to take regarding this case," Officer Hannigan explained. "I wish he would have come down here with you."

"I don't need my dad," Kurt said firmly. "The only evidence I can give you are the pictures of my injuries, taken the night it happened."

"Pictures?" Blaine asked. "You didn't tell me you took pictures."

"I don't know why I did," Kurt said. "Maybe because I didn't believe it had actually happened. And no, Blaine, you can't see them." He pulled out his iPhone. "Here," he said to Officer Forbes, sitting closest to him. "I need my phone back, though."

"If you'll email them to me, you can have the phone back right now," she said helpfully, scribbling down an email address with a Lima Police domain.

Kurt took the paper, and thumbed quickly through the photos, hiding them from Blaine's eyes. Suddenly, he gasped. "I don't remember even taking these!" he exclaimed.

Blaine couldn't tell if it was excitement or horror making his boyfriend practically bounce in his seat. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

"The semi-tractor," Kurt explained. "I took a picture of the bastard's semi-tractor. And the license plate. And the gas station sign. And they're time and date stamped by the iPhone." He quickly sent the whole folder to the officer. "Will that help?"

"Immensely," she assured him. "With a time delay of nearly seven days, it's hard to find any evidence whatsoever. But this should help us build our case against this guy. It's likely that he's a serial rapist, Kurt. We have several other victims with the same M.O. I can't give you any details of their cases, of course, but they've all given us leave to state, for your peace of mind, that none of them have tested positive for anything up to this point. Your doctor will probably send you for intensive tests over the next few months."

Kurt nodded. "She's already ordered them," he said. "Can we finish this up? I'm really tired of talking about this. It's all I've done for nearly twenty-four hours."

Officer Hannigan smiled. "Unfortunately, we're going to need to go over the details with you again," she said. "Just to get it all down in order."

Kurt took a deep breath and nodded. And then spent the next hour and a half answering questions of the officers. Blaine helped out when Kurt lost his words, but kept silent, just holding Kurt's hand the rest of the time.

Finally, the officers, after handing Kurt a business card with his file number on it, let the two boys leave. Kurt sank onto the seat of Blaine's car, laying his head back against the headrest. "I just want to go home, crawl into my bed, and forget today," he mumbled.

"Well, we have to get some food, some prescriptions, you need to have that blood drawn, and then I'll take you home. What do you feel like eating?"

"I'm not hungry," Kurt said automatically.

"Baby, I haven't seen you eat a bite since I've been with you," Blaine said quietly. "You have to be starving by now."

"It hurts too much when I eat," Kurt said, hoping Blaine would get the picture without him spelling it out.

The look on Kurt's face brought understanding to Blaine. "Ah. Well, in that case," Blaine tried to be adult about the situation, "Chicken soup it is! Something light, bland, and easy on your stomach."

"If I promise to drink some chicken broth when we get back to my house, will you drop it?" Kurt asked.

"Is that something Carole would have on-hand?" Blaine asked. "Or do we need to go grocery shopping?"

"Should probably go grocery shopping. There's a grocery store with a pharmacy in the Lima Center Square. It's in the same complex as the lab I need to go to in order to have the blood drawn." Kurt sighed heavily. "Just…can you figure this out, Blaine? I'm exhausted, I haven't eaten in nearly a week, and all I want to do is drop."

"I'll take care of everything. When we get to the store, you go drop off your prescriptions. We'll go to the lab, then do the grocery shopping while we wait for the medication. Then we'll head back to your place, I'll warm up some broth, tuck you into bed, and make supper for the whole family. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Kurt said with a genuine smile. "I don't know if Finn and Rachel will be there, but if she is, she can have leftover lasagne. Carole doesn't usually make multiple vegan meals in the same week just for Rachel. Dad's too much a meat and potatoes kind of guy."

Blaine chuckled. "Duly noted," he said. The two boys ran all their errands, with a few minor changes in plan due to Kurt's dizziness after the blood draw. On the way home, the pale boy laid back in the front seat, sipping apple juice with his eyes closed.

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><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, I'm still getting amazing, constructive reviews. Next couple of chapters should be completely yummy. Including some happy, smutty goodness, which will be explained.  
><strong>


	7. Blaine and Kurt, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

**Note: If you're still reading this (and if you are, THANK YOU!), I should warn that this is an incredibly long chapter, compared to the length of previous chapters. AND it's DEFINITELY rated M. It's probably one of the happier chapters in the story. This is the first time I've ever attempted to write m/m intimate scenes, so if I glossed over details, my apologies. I'm a woman. And while I have some idea what two guys do together, really, can I have any understanding what it would really be like? I changed a small amount of the chapter. It was a single thought of Blaine's, but it bothered one of my lovely reviewers, and after writing so many more chapters, I didn't like how it had been written. So I changed it. Author's prerogative. :)  
><strong>

Chapter 7 - Blaine and Kurt

Blaine helped Kurt into the house and then went back for the groceries, setting himself up in the kitchen to cook the family's meal for the evening. The chicken was marinating, the potatoes washed and ready for baking, and the salad vegetables were washed and ready to toss, all before the chicken broth was heated. This he brought to Kurt in a large mug. "Drink it all," he said with a smile.

Kurt sipped the hot liquid, closing his eyes and savoring the taste. "Thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome," he said, sitting down next to Kurt. "I hope your family likes what I'm making for supper. I'm nowhere near the gourmet cook you are."

"I'll love it because you made it," Kurt said softly. "Carole will love it because she'll love that she didn't have to cook. Finn won't care because he's a human garbage disposal. Thus, you only have to worry about impressing Dad."

Blaine paled for a moment, but then realized Kurt was actually teasing him. "When you finish that, we should probably go work on our duet for Regionals…or maybe our homework?"

"I have a question for you first," Kurt said. "Why did you have clean clothes in your car?" he asked.

Blaine paused, thinking for a moment. "I got into the habit when I left Dalton. It was one thing to run to my dorm for a fresh uniform, and entirely another to leave McKinley in the middle of the day after a food fight or slushie episode."

Kurt nodded. "I see," he said. "So you always leave fresh clothes in your car then?" he asked.

"Always. Never want to be left unaware," Blaine grinned. "How do you feel?"

"Much better now," Kurt finished the broth and set the mug on the table. "Thank you."

"Hey, Kurt?" Blaine asked, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Kurt smiled, wrapping an arm around Blaine. "I'm pretty sure you've asked me all the embarrassing ones."

'Don't be so sure,' Blaine thought. He took a deep breath, then sat up, taking both of Kurt's hands in his. "Kurt, I know you and I haven't done…well…much of anything. Sexually, I mean. But…and correct me if I'm wrong, I think we were getting close…weren't we?"

"Blaine, please tell me you aren't asking me to have sex with you, now?" Kurt asked.

Blaine chuckled nervously. "No!" he exclaimed. "Well, not exactly. Kurt, what I want is, Kurt, I want to show you how much I love you. And I know you felt kinda betrayed by your body's response to what that bastard did to you. So, I…Kurt, I want to show you that the same acts can be loving, can be beautiful. Kurt, what I want is….I want to give you a hand job. To bring you pleasure in the same way he brought you pain."

Kurt was already shaking his head before he started to speak. "Blaine, I appreciate the offer. More than you'll ever know. But I'm really bruised up. I don't want you to see me like that. But thank you, just the same."

"What about the medication the doctor gave you?" Blaine asked. "Are you going to be able to apply that everywhere on your own?"

"I'll figure it out," Kurt said, frowning slightly. "Thanks, Blaine, but seriously, I'm getting really uncomfortable again. I'm just not ready for this. Can we please change the subject?"

"Consider it changed," Blaine said. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to do _something_ to show Kurt how much he loved him. That he needed to make sure his love was okay. "Will you promise me one thing, though?"

"What's that?" Kurt asked.

"When you are ready, when that day comes, will you let me make good on my promise, and bring you that pleasure?"

"Only you," Kurt promised. "We have a few hours until Dad and Carole will be home from work. Do you want to go up to my room, work on that duet, and maybe cuddle?"

"That's a perfect consolation prize," Blaine said happily. He pulled Kurt to his feet. "Let's go. I just need to leave a quick note for Carole."

Kurt carried his mug into the kitchen, tucking it into the dishwasher. "What are you writing?" He took the piece of paper from Blaine. _'Carole, Kurt and I are up in his room working on our vocals for Regionals. Chicken is marinating next to the makings for salad in the refrigerator. Potatoes are next to the oven ready to be baked. Call up to us when you come in, and we'll come finish supper for you. ~Blaine'_

"Just a note," Blaine said. "Will that do?"

"Except the part where you volunteered me to help," Kurt teased. "C'mon, let's go." They left the note on the counter, prominently in front of the coffee pot, so Carole would be sure to see it when she got home from work.

Blaine and Kurt made their way up the stairs to Kurt's bedroom, closed the door over halfway, then Blaine gasped in surprise as Kurt pulled him down onto the bed, devouring his mouth in a hungry kiss.

"Whoa!" Blaine exclaimed, pulling back. "Are you sure about this?" He held himself off of Kurt with his muscular forearms.

"Just because I don't feel ready for sex doesn't mean I don't want to make out with my boyfriend. It doesn't mean I don't want to kiss and touch you."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked, concerned.

"Absolutely," Kurt said. "And, well, I know it might be taking advantage of the situation, but, will you take your shirt off? I absolutely love your chest…"

Blaine smiled. "If it'll make you happy, of course." He sat up, and sucked in a quick breath when he realized he was pressed intimately to Kurt. "Sorry," he mumbled, shifting position. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside.

Kurt shivered in delight. "Now, c'mere," he instructed. He pulled Blaine back down on top of him.

"Kurt, I'm too heavy," Blaine said, pushing himself back up. "I'll crush you."

"I need this," Kurt said clearly, his eyes locked on Blaine's. "I wanted to ask you last night, but after I freaked out during the massage, well, I couldn't. All I can remember is his weight on me. The smell of the musty bed pressed against my face. All I can remember is him. I need to feel your weight on me. Please, Blaine, take away the feel of him on my skin…"

Blaine nodded, understanding. It was a tremendous task, doing what Kurt asked without hurting him, without scaring him. But he'd do anything to help his boyfriend, and besides, this was one of his favorite pastimes. He lowered himself back onto the thinner body, cradling Kurt's face in his hands as he kissed him thoroughly.

"God, Blaine, you're beautiful!" Kurt breathed. His well-manicured nails dug into Blaine's back.

"So are you," Blaine responded. He shifted onto one arm to brush a gentle finger down Kurt's cheek. "Twenty-four hours ago, I never dreamed I'd be in this position again. Thank you, love."

"No, thank you," Kurt countered. "You saved me."

"We saved each other." He smiled down at Kurt. Pink's 'Perfect' began playing on the iPod and the smile deepened into a grin. "But we're not in the car," he teased.

"You're perfect," Kurt responded, pulling him down for another long play of lips and tongues. The two continued making out until Blaine finally had to roll away.

"I can't do this," Blaine gasped. "I want you so badly, and I can't have you, and I don't know if I'm strong enough to keep saying no. I…I should go home." He paced the room.

"No!" Kurt exclaimed. "Don't go, please…" _I need you._

"Look, Kurt, you turn me on so much," Blaine said bluntly. He sighed. "I'm going to go take a cold shower if that's okay?"

Kurt nodded. "If you think that'll help," he said.

"It's the only way I'll be able to stay," Blaine explained.

"Go ahead," Kurt nodded. He lay back on the bed, feeling at the same time miserable and elated. Part of him hated the fact that Blaine looked so miserable, but the rest of him was excited that he could turn his boyfriend into a quivering pile of hormones with just a few kisses.

"Thanks," Blaine said gratefully. He leaned in, gave Kurt one last kiss, and then hurried into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him, stripped off the remainder of his clothing, and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, and worse, that he had lied to Kurt. But the taller boy turned him on so badly. Blaine justified it all to himself as he cranked up the heat on the shower. He stepped into the steaming stream and sighed in delight.

He let himself revel in the rhythmic thrum of the water against his skin for a few minutes, then reached for the liquid soap. Pouring a good amount into his hand, he wrapped his fingers around his thick, aching cock. He ventured a slow, hard stroke, and clenched his teeth to keep from moaning.

Blaine worked one hand over his flesh, the other tugging lightly on his balls. The pleasure coursed through his body. He tried to draw it out, but his need was so great, he gave in and just went for it. Bracing himself against the wall of the shower, Blaine's hips snapped forward with each stroke. "Oh, God, Kurt," he moaned.

"Blaine?" Kurt called urgently, making out what sounded like a pained moan. "Blaine, are you alright?"

"Fine!" Blaine managed to call back, pressing his fist to his lips to muffle another cry of pleasure. His foot slipped as his orgasm washed over his body, and he fell to the floor of the bathtub. He didn't even feel the pain in his knees, the pleasure of the orgasm was so overwhelming.

"Blaine? Did you fall down? What was that noise I heard?" Kurt rattled the door knob.

"I'm fine!" Blaine called, crouching low in the bathtub. "Just fine, Kurt! I'll be out in a minute!"

Kurt hovered by the bathroom door, listening as the shower turned off, and Blaine stepped out of the shower.

The younger boy dried off, and knowing better than to walk out in just a towel, tugged his pants back on. He was spent, so tired after the intensity of his experience. He opened the door and a small cloud of steam wafted out.

"Cold shower, hmm?" Kurt asked.

Blaine flushed. "I...Kurt, I couldn't help myself. You're so hot…I knew the cold shower would do nothing." He smiled sheepishly. "You turn me on, Kurt. Sorry…"

"You mean…you think about me when you're…when you're doing that?"

"At least daily," Blaine said honestly. "Sometimes multiple times in a day. I love you. Why wouldn't I think of you when I masturbate? What do you think about?"

"I don't," Kurt said flatly. "I've told you that."

"You mean you weren't exaggerating when you said.."

"When I said he was the first person outside of my dreams to do that to me? No. Not exaggerating at all. Can we talk about something else, please?" Kurt strode over and picked up Blaine's shirt from the floor. "In fact, let's just leave the room. I need some air. Let's go downstairs."

"Hold on," Blaine said. He tossed the shirt onto the chaise lounge. "C'mere. Dance with me."

"No!" Kurt exclaimed, pacing. "You got relief. You have no idea how I'm feeling right now. I need to get out of this room. I can't be close to you right now."

"Okay," Blaine sighed. "If you won't take care of yourself, if you won't let me help, then I need to go. I can't stand to watch you torturing yourself when five minutes in the bathroom or lying on your bed together could solve the problem."

"Blaine, I can't even say the word, much less actually do it! And as much as the idea of you helping me turns me on, makes this ache worse, the bruises…"

Blaine smiled. "Answer me a serious question, Kurt. You dodged it earlier. Am I right? Were we close to making love? Before all this happened?"

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. "And if it weren't for the physical pain I'm in right now, I'd be begging you to erase the rest of the memories!" He bit his lower lip, trying to keep from crying. "I'm just scared, Blaine…if I'd just let you do it last weekend, if I'd stayed, instead of leaving, none of this ever would have happened!"

"Shh, honey, it's okay. You cannot think that way," Blaine said, smiling. "How about a compromise?"

"What are you suggesting?" Kurt asked.

"The same thing I suggested earlier, but with a twist. Go take a nice warm shower, get relaxed. Put on your oldest, loosest pair of pajama pants. I'm going to run my hands over your body, keep my eyes locked on yours, and get you where you need to be, without ever looking at those bruises you're so afraid of me seeing."

"I'm not sure I can handle this," Kurt said, even as his body strained towards the idea.

"I'll go slow," Blaine promised. "Just let me try, and if you need me to stop, I'll stop, no questions asked. I won't be angry, and we'll get dressed and go downstairs to watch The Little Mermaid."

Kurt giggled at that. "First, the sex. Then, the mermaid?"

"Sounds like a perfect afternoon to me. So, what do you say?"

Kurt nodded. The apprehension in his mind warred with the anticipation in his eyes. He took a deep breath. "I'll be back," he promised.

Blaine stopped him with a look. He pulled Kurt tight against him, allowing their bodies to press intimately against one another. He kissed Kurt thoroughly, his tongue delving deep into the other's mouth.

When they parted, both were panting for breath. "Okay. Now I'll be back soon," Kurt said again. He walked away on shaky legs, barely remembering to grab the requested pajamas from his dresser.

"Bring your favorite lotion out with you," Blaine instructed. He moved over to the stereo and started swiping through the play lists on his iPod. He keyed up some dance music and began moving about the room.

Kurt stripped off his clothing and looked critically at himself in the mirror. What did Blaine see in him? He was nothing more than a skinny, pale, bruise-mottled, broken porcelain doll, he thought derisively.

"I don't hear the shower starting!" Blaine sing-songed. "C'mon, love, if you're getting cold feet just crank up the heat!"

"You're impossible!" Kurt yelled through the door, unable to keep from laughing. He put aside his uncertainty and stepped into the shower. He took his time in the shower, trying to relax, but he was practically vibrating with the thought of what he was about to do. Correction, what they were about to do. Hurriedly, with shaking hands, he dried himself and put on the pajama pants. To further show Blaine he was serious, he went without putting a shirt on. He opened the bathroom door, and was greeted with a pleasant sight. He stood for a long moment, watching Blaine's fluid movements. "Are…are you ready?" he asked tremulously.

Blaine stopped mid-step, and turned to face him. "Yes," he said, walking over and taking Kurt's hand. "Yes, I am."

Kurt took a deep steadying breath. "Okay!" he said. "But, Blaine…I don't think I'm going to be able to reciprocate…"

"I don't expect you to," Blaine said. "At least, not the first time. Look, Kurt, I'm nervous about this, too. Neither of us have done anything voluntarily beyond light petting and kissing. This is new territory for both of us. So yes, I'm nervous. But I want to do this. If you do."

"I do," Kurt said. "So, um, how do we start?"

"With a kiss!" Blaine smiled, suiting action to words. He pulled Kurt to him, tugged him toward the bed, and their lips met in another searing kiss.

"But not just a kiss this time," Kurt tore his lips from Blaine's, recalling their dance the previous night.

"Never," Blaine reassured him. "Now, turn off that light. There's enough light coming through the blinds for this."

Kurt did as instructed and plunged them into semi-darkness. Blaine slid his hand down Kurt's arm, and the other boy shivered involuntarily. "Blaine," he breathed. "Please…"

Blaine nodded, understanding. He could tell that Kurt was at his breaking point. If he didn't do something now, chances were Kurt would stop him from doing anything at all. So Blaine slid his hand down Kurt's side, gliding over the front of the pajama pants to lightly caress his boyfriend's thick erection.

"Oh, God!" Kurt exclaimed at the first touch of his hand.

"I'm going to tell you a secret," Blaine whispered, kissing Kurt's earlobe. "This is the single hottest moment of my entire life."

Kurt moaned between clenched teeth. "Blaine, please, touch me!" he begged.

"I am touching you," Blaine chuckled softly. "Are you asking for more?"

Kurt nodded wildly. "I don't care anymore," he said, tugging the pajama pants off of his body, causing Blaine's hand to land directly on Kurt's bare flesh. Blaine reacted like he'd touched a hot stove.

"Are you certain?" Blaine asked, eyes locked on Kurt's. He valiantly fought the urge to look lower.

"I need this," Kurt said. "I need you."

"I know you do. But I want to be sure it's what you want," Blaine responded.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and deliberately pressed it against himself. "Do…am I… I mean…" he was nearly purple in his embarrassment.

Blaine wrapped his hand loosely around Kurt's length, gauging his girth. "One of these days," he murmured, "that is going to fill me up, so good."

"You…you want me like that?" Kurt asked incredulously.

"Why wouldn't I?" Blaine asked, taking a slow, gentle stroke.

"I just…Blaine, you're making it very, very hard to talk," Kurt managed.

"Answer the question," Blaine said firmly, his voice low and silky as he ventured another long, gentle stroke. "Now, Kurt."

"After reading the pamphlets Dad got me…" Kurt gasped in pleasure. "I…I just assumed that…if you and I…if we ever got there, that, well, you'd be the…um…"

"The top?" Blaine asked, helping him along.

"Yeah, the top," Kurt tried out the word. "I didn't think anyone would want me to do that to them, you know?"

"Would you want to?" Blaine asked, keeping up a light, slow rhythm, all he could do considering that their skin was dry. "Or is it something you're not interested in?"

"I don't know," Kurt said, closing his eyes. "It scares me. But then again, everything except what you're doing right now terrifies me. Please don't stop."

"Don't worry, I won't," Blaine said. "Did you remember the lotion I asked for?"

"No," Kurt pouted. "Stop, and I'll go get it." He made to sit up, but was pressed back into the mattress by Blaine's strong hand.

"Not a chance. I have a better idea. Do you trust me?"

"With my life," Kurt said honestly.

"I'm going to need to look at you…"

Kurt nodded. "Alright," he said. "What are you…oh God!" he screamed as Blaine's mouth engulfed his length.

Completely unpractised, what Blaine's first attempt at a blowjob lacked in finesse it more than made up for in sheer enthusiasm. It was wet, and wild, but considering it was Kurt's first time, both knew it wouldn't last long.

The pleasure building, Kurt tugged at Blaine's unruly curls, pulling his head off of him. "Blaine, you gotta stop!" he breathed desperately.

"I don't want to," Blaine countered, but he moved to lie beside Kurt and contented himself with stroking his boyfriend firmly.

It only took another moment. With a strangled shout, Kurt came, hard, his cock spasming onto his stomach and Blaine's hand. He was shaking, trembling, and tears streamed down his face as the orgasm subsided.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked, concerned. He lay along the length of Kurt's body, slowly stroking him from shoulder to hip.

"That was incredible," Kurt whispered. "No wonder you enjoy it so much."

Blaine laughed. "So," he said conversationally. "You think you might want to do that again someday?"

Kurt nodded. "Mmm-hmm. But…for now…um, can we get cleaned up? Please?"

"I'll be right back," Blaine said. He gave Kurt a long, lingering kiss, then got up from the bed. "You are so absolutely gorgeous," he said. He went into the washroom, wet a facecloth, and returned to Kurt's side. "How do you feel?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "Good…except…I hurt," he said honestly. "The medication is wearing off, and I tensed up…it hurts."

"Will you let me help you?" Blaine asked, slowly bathing Kurt's torso. "Let me apply that medication?"

"Do you promise to be gentle?" Kurt asked, ashamed to even be asking. He hated that the beauty of their first time had to be marred with such clinical procedures.

"Of course!" Blaine exclaimed. "You don't even have to ask. I'm going to be as gentle as humanly possible. It's going to hurt, but I'm going to make it better. I promise." He pulled the tube of ointment out of the bag on Kurt's bedside table.

"Alright," Kurt took a deep breath. He rolled onto his stomach, much as he had the previous night, only, this time, he fought to remain calm instead of giving into the panic.

"Shh," Blaine soothed. "God, you are so incredibly beautiful, so hot. I love you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel."

"I love you, Blaine Anderson. But can we get this over with, please?" His shoulders were shaking from the stress.

Blaine frowned. He had hoped that doing this right after Kurt had an orgasm would have left the injured boy in a state of lassitude, not shivering in fear. "Try to relax for me, love," he murmured. He opened the tube of cream and put a small dab on the tip of his index finger. Using both hands, he very, very gently spread Kurt open to his gaze. He fought the urge to moan at how sexy his boyfriend was. He was lost in a momentary daydream of what it could have been like, here, with Kurt, without any injury. He'd be smoothing lubricant, getting ready to-

Shaking himself from his revelry, Blaine touched the cream to the surface of Kurt's puckered anus. "We'll just let that take effect before I do any more," he said. He pressed a light kiss to Kurt's shoulder. "How are you doing, love?"

"Good," Kurt said. "Better than I thought I would be." He took a deep breath, sinking further into the bed. "But I need you to get this over with. I don't know how much more I can take."

"Okay." Blaine coated his finger in the ointment and slowly, agonizingly slowly worked it in. Kurt moaned, and Blaine stopped. "Does it hurt too much?" he asked.

"N…no," Kurt said. "Not at all." He buried his face in the pillow. It actually felt good. Painful, but knowing it was Blaine made it feel good, in a strange sort of way.

Blaine smoothed the ointment inside Kurt's body, adding more ointment as he went. He accidentally brushed Kurt's prostate, and the boy on the bed jumped. "Are you alright?" Blaine asked as he did it again, this time on purpose.

"Mmm-hmm," Kurt whimpered. "God, Blaine…you're…I don't understand it, but you're, I'm…"

"You're getting hard again, aren't you," Blaine whispered. At Kurt's fevered nod, he laughed softly. "That's more than I could have hoped for," he murmured. He continued stroking, finding several deep fissures within Kurt's body and coating them thoroughly with the medicated cream. "How does that feel?"

"Much better," Kurt murmured. "Thank you." He turned to look at Blaine. "You can…um…you can take your finger out now."

"Oh!" Blaine exclaimed sheepishly. "Sorry!" Gently, he pulled his finger out, cleaning it on the cloth he'd used to bathe Kurt after his orgasm.

"Don't apologize," Kurt said, rolling onto his back. "Don't apologize at all! That was…incredible, Blaine. And…eye-opening."

Blaine nodded. "I kinda thought it might be," he said. "Do you feel better about it now?"

"Wait," Kurt looked at Blaine quizzically. "You didn't do this in order to show me what would happen when you touched me there, did you?"

"Guilty as charged," Blaine said sheepishly. "But you did need the medication…"

"And you ignored the applicator in the bag." Not that Kurt had imagined how he was supposed to use the invasive plunger-type device.

"I hope you aren't mad," Blaine said. "I'm sorry for doing that."

"I'm not mad. Thank you. Your point was illustrated beautifully. But I think it's time to get dressed and go turn on a movie."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked, gazing down at Kurt's half-hard erection.

"Yes," Kurt said firmly, pushing himself up off the bed. He dressed quickly, without regard to how Blaine was watching him. "Put your shirt on, Blaine. If we're watching a Disney movie when Dad or Carole gets home, they won't give me that look like they caught us in my room with the door closed."

Blaine nodded. "Alright," he said. "You have a point." He pulled his shirt on, leaving the bowtie on Kurt's bed. He wrapped his arms around Kurt. "Just so you know," he said softly. "You felt absolutely amazing on my finger."

Kurt blushed. "Thanks, I guess," he said. He pulled away from Blaine and made his way down to the living room. He chose the DVD from the shelf and popped it into the player. Blaine moved about the kitchen comfortably, popping popcorn and collecting drinks. Kurt curled up under a blanket on the sofa and waited for his boyfriend to join him.

The two boys settled in to watch the movie, and within minutes, Kurt was asleep in Blaine's arms. Blaine got caught up in the movie, but kept himself from singing along, merely mouthing the words. Carole arrived home just as the movie ended, carrying a bag of groceries.

"Hello," she whispered, waving at Blaine.

"Hi," Blaine mouthed. He carefully extricated himself from the couch, climbing over Kurt to walk over and take the bag from Carole. "I've already started supper," he said. "So hopefully you didn't buy anything that won't keep." He kept his voice low as they walked into the kitchen.

"You're making supper?" Carole asked incredulously. "I thought you'd be taking care of Kurt…"

"Well, I needed to make sure he ate something, he hasn't eaten much in the last week, and I just tossed some chicken breasts into a marinade, washed and stabbed some potatoes for baking, and-"

"Blaine!" Carole laughed. "Calm down. I'm not mad, in fact, I'm ecstatic. I was going to have to resort to a frozen casserole. These groceries are so Finn doesn't starve during the week. Show me what you've got going on."

Blaine showed Carole his preparations for dinner. "I didn't plan anything for dessert. Kurt's had a long day, and I didn't want to be away from him long enough to bake something. Plus I'm not the world's greatest baker or anything."

"That's alright," Carole said. "Blaine, honey, I wanted to talk to you about something. How are you handling all this?"

Blaine took a deep breath, and sat down with her at the table. "Not so wonderfully," he confessed. "I hate that someone hurt him, and there's so little I can do to make it better. I mean, I'm making sure he's taking the antibiotics the doctor prescribed, I made him chicken broth earlier today, held his hand while they drew blood, but, really, I feel…"

"Inadequate?" Carole asked softly, reaching over and squeezing his hand.

Blaine nodded. "That's the right word for it," he agreed. "Inadequate. I feel like I should be able to do something more, like find the guy and take care of him."

"If you got injured, or in trouble, it would hurt him even more," Carole pointed out. "Now, I've talked to Burt, and he's okay with you staying over again tonight, but you're going to need to spend the school nights at your own place. Just because we don't want you two staying up all night," she smiled.

"Of course," Blaine said, relieved that he wouldn't have to go home yet. "I should call my dad and let him know," he said quietly, realizing he hadn't called home the night before. He winced, realizing the trouble he was going to be in.

"You go ahead. I'm going to just put these groceries away and putter around in here. And as for dessert, if you think it's a good idea, Kurt froze a few dozen of his special cupcakes, we can take some out and whip up a batch of homemade icing."

"He'd like that," Blaine said. "Thanks, Carole." He went up to Kurt's room and used his cell phone to call home. After speaking to his father, he gathered his things and walked down the stairs. "Carole?" he asked quietly, downcast.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked.

"Dad insists that I come home right this minute," he said. "I'm going to go wake Kurt to say goodbye, and I wondered if you'd be there with him in case he's upset?"

"Of course," Carole nodded. "You're welcome back anytime, you know that, right?"

"Thanks," Blaine said. He walked into the living room and sat down on the edge of the couch, kissing Kurt's cheek softly. "C'mon, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered. "Time to wake up."

"What?" Kurt asked, disoriented. He sat up, running a hand through his hair.

"I have to go home. Dad's insisting," Blaine said quietly. "I'll try to come back to spend the day with you tomorrow, so I can detail your car like I promised."

"But…you made supper…"

"I know, honey. But Dad's being really firm on this one. Be strong for me. Courage." He kissed Kurt gently. "I'll see you soon, and I'll call you as soon as I can."

Kurt nodded. "I'll walk you out," he said, struggling to stand up.

Blaine shook his head. "No," he said. "Just stay here. You need your rest. I can let myself out. Carole is home and finishing up supper, I'm sure your dad will be home soon. Just take it easy tonight, and I'll be in touch, okay?"

"Alright," Kurt sighed, nibbling on his lower lip. "I love you, Blaine."

"I love you." They kissed briefly, then Blaine let himself out. When he was away from Kurt and Carole, he let out a shuddering sigh. This was not going to be an easy evening. He drove home, dreading every minute what was going to happen when he got there.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Please review…I'm especially interested in what you thought of this chapter. Part of me knows it might have been too soon, but have you ever been worked up, and done something more than you might not have otherwise, had you been in your right mind? Besides, I had that little 'medication' scene in my head from the first moment I conceived this idea.**


	8. Interlude

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

**Note: This is an interlude which explains why Blaine and Kurt were all over each other, so soon after everything happened, and perhaps, a bit of the Andersons' attitude towards the whole Kurt/Blaine relationship. I hope it helps explain the last chapter a little better. It takes place the night Kurt was attacked.**

* * *

><p>Innocence Lost - An Interlude<p>

_The Night IT Happened_

"Oh my God, Kurt!" Blaine breathed. "You…holy…Kurt!" He squirmed against Kurt's lips.

Kurt smiled shyly. "Let's slow down," he said. He stopped nibbling on Blaine's neck, keeping his hands firmly on his boyfriend's hips.

Blaine nodded, taking a deep breath. "Get up, let's dance. We need to move."

"Yes!" Kurt clung to the idea. He strode across the room and turned on Blaine's stereo. Of course, his boyfriend's iPod was on the 'Katy Perry/Pink' Playlist, and _Last Friday Night_ kicked in.

"I was thinking something a little slower," Blaine laughed softly. He pressed a few buttons on the remote, and an acoustic version of Hey Monday's _Candles _began. It was the only song they'd sung as a duet together in competition as Warblers, and it was a beautiful song that they both loved. He wrapped his arms around Kurt and moved slowly against him.

"Mmm," Kurt murmured, basking in the feel of Blaine pressed against him. They moved together, so in sync, so natural in their movements. There was nothing awkward about their dancing, fluid, and yet, both were holding back. Lovers not yet consummated.

"You feel so good against me," Blaine whispered. "I want to lie you back down on that bed, strip off your clothing, one piece at a time, and make love to you."

"Stop," Kurt said, freezing. "No no no, we're not doing this, Blaine. I'm…"

"I know, baby. I'm sorry for bringing it up," Blaine said, whispering against Kurt's neck. "I just…I want you so badly. I know it embarrasses you, and you don't want to talk about sex, I just wanted you to know what you do to me."

"I…I feel…I feel it too, I think," Kurt whispered. "But as much as I want to…"

"Something's holding you back," Blaine said. "And I respect that. Just…please don't make me wait until your thirtieth birthday." He remembered what little Kurt had told him about 'the talk' he'd had with Burt Hummel.

"I don't think so," Kurt said. "I want to. I really do. But I have to be home in two hours, and I'm still scared, and we haven't talked about this all that much, and…"

"And I understand that," Blaine said, pressing a finger to Kurt's lips to silence him. "You're the love of my life. And as I've said before, I want you to be comfortable, so I can be comfortable. So we're going to dance, and we're going to kiss, but we're going to keep it at that. But one day soon, we're going to have the talk that you so desperately want to have before we go further. So that we're on the same page, and there aren't any surprises when we decide to finally make love."

"Most teenagers talk about having sex," Kurt said.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we're not most teenagers," Blaine smiled. "Now, dance with me."

The two boys danced together through several more songs, until finally, Kurt pulled away. "I gotta go," he said. "I'm going to need to stop for gas."

"Come back tomorrow?" Blaine asked. "Parents will still be out of town, and I need help on my French homework."

"Uh-huh. You want more French kissing," Kurt countered.

"Probably," Blaine agreed. "But I really do need help with my conjugation."

"I'll be here," Kurt promised. "I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed Blaine one last time, shouldered his messenger bag, and headed for the door. Blaine followed him down the stairs, and out to his Navigator, waiting until the engine was started and the vehicle warming.

"Bye," he said. He wouldn't kiss Kurt outside his house for his parents' sake. In their affluent neighborhood, it wasn't seen as appropriate for gay teenagers to kiss on their parents' driveway. And his parents were having enough trouble dealing with him and Kurt being together, without reports from his parents' friends that he'd been 'inappropriate' in their house. "I love you."

"Bye," Kurt smiled. "I love you." He blew Blaine a kiss from inside the vehicle, then drove off. He was debating crossing a line with himself that evening when he got home, doing something he'd never done before, just wanting to ease the ache Blaine caused in him. Lost in thought, he forgot to stop in Blaine's town for fuel, and made it to the outskirts of Lima before the low fuel light came on. Combined with his full bladder, he decided to stop at the truck stop….

Within minutes of Kurt leaving, Blaine's cell phone rang. "Hello, Mom," he said, answering the phone.

"Blaine, darling, did you have that boy over again?" Maria Anderson asked. "Mrs. Caine called me to say she'd seen that showy vehicle in our driveway again."

Blaine sighed. "Mom, Kurt's been coming over to do homework with me while you're away. This is a big house to be nearly alone in for days on end. But he's left for the night. I respect you and Dad, and your rules. Kurt and I would never do anything like you're thinking here in your house."

"So you save that for his house?"

"Mom, Kurt and I are dating, yes, but that's it. We're not doing anything you wouldn't approve of, anywhere. I swear."

"I still don't like it. I don't want him over at our house anymore."

"Well, he's coming over tomorrow," Blaine said. "I'm struggling in French and need his help. He's been tutoring me."

"Well, don't let him stay long, and don't you even think about kissing him in our driveway, or where any of our neighbors can see. Do you understand me?

"Yes, Mom," Blaine said. "We'll finish my French homework, work in the studio for a bit on some choreography for our next competition, and then he'll leave. Is that fair?"

"I suppose if you've already made plans, and you need help with your French, that I cannot say no. Just, keep in mind how it looks when you and another young man are alone in our home."

"We're hardly alone. Cora is here, or have you forgotten." The housekeeper. She'd been staying in the guest room while Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were out of town. But what Blaine's parents didn't realize was that the Hispanic woman doted on Kurt and would have let them spend the night together had they but asked.

"I haven't forgotten. And I'll be asking for her report as well when we get home on Monday. I love you, Blaine. I just wish you'd make different choices."

"I understand," Blaine said. "This is who I am. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but this is who I am. And Kurt and I are as discreet as possible, without giving up seeing each other completely. I love you, Mom. I'll see you Monday."

"See you Monday, darling," Maria said. She disconnected the line, and Blaine laid back on his bed, shaking his head. He hoped Kurt's drive home was going well.

After everything that happened, when Kurt arrived home, it was after curfew, but a shout of "Sorry, Dad, had to stop for gas!" had Burt leaving him alone. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief as he locked himself in his bedroom and stripped off his clothing, tossing the designer items in the back of his closet into a pile on the floor. He scrubbed his body until the hot water ran out, pulled on old sweatpants, wrapped himself in towels, and dove under his duvet. He cried himself to sleep.

Kurt begged off from breakfast with the family, citing too much homework. Then, he headed for Blaine's. He knew what he had to do.

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><p><strong>Now, back to our regularly scheduled chapters. Except that they have no regular schedule whatsoever. Blaine's trip home comes next, but I may wait a few days for that one...<strong>


	9. Mr Anderson

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

**Note: I debated this. Haven't these boys been through enough? But I wanted more…if you keep reading my work, you'll come to find out I love angst. I find it cathartic to put my characters into hopeless situations and have them come out stronger. I'm so sorry this took me so long to post. I've had it written forever, but I debated changing it until the last minute. Now that the damage has been done, updates should be much faster. I hope...  
><strong>

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><p>The hour long drive passed in silence, and when Blaine pulled into his parents' driveway, he could see his father standing at the front window, arms crossed. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the car, wishing he had Kurt there to hold his hand, and yet, wanting to protect the fragile boy from all that was about to happen. He squared his shoulders and walked to the front door, head held high.<p>

"Blaine Everett Anderson," his father said from between clenched teeth. "Where the hell were you last night?"

"I did call and leave a message on your voicemail, but I spent the night at Kurt Hummel's house, under the watchful eye of his parents," Blaine said matter-of-factly.

"Bringing everyone's attention, once again, to the fact that you're a fucking faggot?" Thomas Anderson spat. "With your fairy fucking faggot boyfriend?"

Blaine sighed. "Dad, I'm going to school an hour from here, I've never even considered bringing him to your country club, and, quite frankly, I don't appreciate the names you're calling me and Kurt. I don't know how much more discreet I can be without denying a fundamental part of myself!"

"Don't talk to me in that tone of voice, young man. You know this phase you're going through is unacceptable to your mother and I, and it needs to end before you graduate high school."

"This isn't a phase," Blaine said quietly. "I love Kurt. I'm not about to denounce who I am. Or what I am. Dad, I'm gay. I've known since I was twelve. And confirmed it by kissing a girl last year, in case you were wondering."

"You kissed a girl, and you went back to him?" his dad asked incredulously. "How could you do that?"

"Because I love Kurt, Dad, not Rachel. I love a man. And I will continue loving him. This isn't a phase."

Thomas closed his eyes. "You disgust me," he said. "Which one are you? The one who takes it up the ass, or the one who packs it in?"

"Kurt and I aren't having sex," Blaine said quietly. "We've discussed it, but we haven't done it. So please, let's change the subject. I'm going to go up to my room and do some homework and just stay out of your way for the rest of the night."

"No, you aren't," Thomas said quietly. "You're going to go gather the things you can get out of your room in the next thirty minutes. You're going to pack them into your car, and you're going to get the fuck out of my house. And you're not going to look back. Do you understand me?"

Blaine felt as if the bottom of his stomach had fallen straight out. "Understood, sir," he managed.

"Now, you're my son. I can't deny that, as much as I would like to. So here's the deal. You're going to have your allowance deposited into your checking account at the beginning at every month. Also, because I'm not giving you a roof over your head any longer, I'll be depositing the equivalent amount that I spent on room and board for you at Dalton, to cover your living expenses. This will continue until you graduate high school, at which time you will have access to your trust fund and college accounts."

"Thank you for your generosity, sir," Blaine said. "May I ask why?"

"Because I need to be able to save face at the firm," Thomas said simply. "I've told them that it's too far for you to commute to your chosen school, and I am providing means for you to support yourself."

Of course, Blaine thought. The firm. His friends and colleagues. He wouldn't do this for his son's sake. "May I talk to Mom before I leave?" he asked.

"I sent your mother to her sister's for a week," Thomas said. "She knows what I'm doing, so don't think you can play on her emotions. She didn't want to see you, either."

"Understood," Blaine said. "As you've only given me half an hour, I should be going." He headed toward the stairs.

"I'll be waiting. Half an hour, Blaine."

Blaine took a deep breath, and hurried to his bedroom. He pulled out the expensive luggage he'd been given for his sixteenth birthday, and started throwing everything he could think of into the cases. Music, clothes, CD cases, his laptop was in the car already, but he needed to pack his DVD collection, and make sure his guitar made it into the pile. He spent fifteen minutes organizing and packing, and then dragged the first set of cases to the front door, avoiding his father's gaze.

His keyboard and backup guitar made it onto the pile, along with his shoe collection in a duffle bag, and his bowties tucked into a messenger bag. Hair gel, and the rest of his toiletry supplies, including the condoms he'd bought 'just in case' when things started getting more heated with Kurt, got tossed into a shaving kit. He only hoped he had everything, as his time was ticking down. He grabbed his favorite pillow, his most comfortable blankets off his bed.

"Two minutes, Blaine!" His father shouted up the stairs. The teen sighed, grabbed a few more random items, including his alarm clock, and, as a last thought, his old stuffed rabbit. The rest he'd have to leave behind.

"Your mother's birthday is in two weeks. We will be having a family dinner at a yet-to-be-determined restaurant. You are expected to be there, alone, or with a female date. If there is anything else you need from your room, you will send your mother an email detailing exactly what it is, and if she feels like it, we will bring it to that dinner. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Blaine said. He placed the rest of his bags on the front steps, and was shocked when his father helped to load his car.

"Now get out of here," Thomas said quietly. "Remember, you will be at your mother's birthday dinner."

"Yes, sir," Blaine said again. So he wasn't disowned, just banished. He drove away, not looking back. He couldn't believe this. At least he had an open invitation from Carole to stay the night at the Hummel-Hudson house. He'd figure out the next day where to go from there. She'd made it clear he wasn't welcome to stay the night on a school night. He pulled over at a gas station and dialled Carole's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Carole asked, not recognizing the number.

"Hi, Carole, it's Blaine. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Hey, honey, what do you need?" she asked, standing up from where she was sitting near Kurt and walking into the kitchen.

"Is the offer to stay the night again still open? My dad kicked me out today. He made me drive all the way home just to tell me to pack my things and get out."

"Oh, honey!" Carole exclaimed. "You just come right back over here, do you understand me? Burt just got home, and he's watching a Western in the living room with Kurt, but I'll pull him aside and let him know. Do you want me to tell Kurt? He was really bummed out that you had to leave."

"I'll tell him when I get there. But I need to go, I don't like to talk and drive at the same time."

"You must be upset," Carole said. "Are you sure you can drive? I can get Burt to bring me to wherever you are…"

"No," Blaine said. "I'm alright. I just want to get there, if that's okay."

"I understand, sweetie. Drive safely." Carole hung up the phone and returned to the living room.

"Who was on the phone, honey?" Burt asked.

"Come talk to me in the kitchen," she said, casting a glance at Kurt, who was still bundled up in the blanket on the couch. "It's time to start grilling."

Burt frowned, but followed his wife into the kitchen, and onto the back patio, where they talked while finishing supper.

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><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

**If, that is, anyone is still reading this after the extreme length of time it took me to post this, and the less-than-appealing length of this chapter. **


	10. Family, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter. Also, I fixed a few continuity errors in the first chapter that conflicted with the interlude. No big deal, just had the breakup on Sunday in one, and Monday in the other. Fixed now.**

**Note: Someone commented the last chapter about Blaine being emotionless with what's happened. I think he's in shock, and not ready to think about what it's going to mean for him, but there's some hints here. Also, if I didn't make it clear enough in the last chapter, Blaine was almost back to the Hummel-Hudson house when he called Carole. Let's say halfway or so?**

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><p>"Who was on the phone, sweetie?" Burt asked.<p>

"Come talk to me in the kitchen," Carole said, casting a glance at Kurt, who was still bundled up in the blanket on the couch. "It's time to start grilling."

Burt frowned, but followed his wife into the kitchen, and onto the back patio, where they talked while finishing supper.

"Kurt, honey!" Carole called, poking her head inside the house some time later. "Can you set the table for four, please?" she asked.

Sighing, but not refusing, Kurt pushed himself up off the couch and set the table for four places. Apparently, Finn was coming back, without Rachel. He could handle that. He placed napkins, cutlery including multiple forks, plates on chargers, and nice glasses. Everything matched, and everything faced the same way. Satisfied, Kurt was about to go back to the couch when the doorbell rang. Another sigh, and he trudged over to the door to answer it.

Kurt's eyes lit up when he saw Blaine on the other side of the door. He threw the door open. "Blaine!" he exclaimed. "You're back? You weren't gone long, your dad let you come back? Is everything okay?" the last was asked as he took in the lack of sparkle in his boyfriend's eyes at his exuberant greeting.

"No," Blaine said quietly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "My dad called me home to kick me out. He's going to provide me with more money than ever, but he doesn't want to see me. It's a high-finance exile, or something."

"Your dad what?" Kurt asked incredulously. "Wait. Was that you calling Carole?"

Blaine nodded. "While you were sleeping, she and I had a talk in the kitchen, and she invited me to stay the night again tonight, but then I called Dad, and he freaked out on me." He shuddered, remembering the short conversation.

"_Where the fuck are you?"_

"_I'm at Kurt Hummel's house. Dad, he was attacked, he's not doing well. I'm going to stay here again."_

"_The hell you are! If your ass isn't home in an hour, you're going to regret it!"_

"_Dad, Kurt's house is over an hour from ours."_

"_Get your ass home!"_

He'd hung up the phone, gathered his things as quickly as possible, said his goodbyes, and then broke several land speed records getting home, but to no avail.

"What are you going to do?" Kurt asked, breaking Blaine out of his remembrance. Kurt cradled Blaine's face in his hands, smiling sadly at his boyfriend.

"Well, tonight, Carole says I'm staying here. Tomorrow, I don't know."

"You're staying here, son," Burt said, stepping into the hall. "Carole told me about your predicament. As far as we're concerned, you're now a member of this household."

Blaine and Kurt's faces showed identical looks of disbelief. "What?" Kurt finally found his voice.

"Carole pointed out a few things," Burt said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's going to be hard for me to get used to, but she suggested that we let you stay here, Blaine, until you graduate high school and go off to live your life. No more hour commute to school for you, you're always over here anyway, so I won't have to enforce a curfew, as long as you boys finish your homework every night."

"Plus, I don't know if you know this, Blaine," Carole said, stepping out and putting an arm around her husband. "But when we thought Quinn was pregnant with Finn's baby, her parents kicked her out, and she lived with Finn and I for a short while. If I can extend that courtesy to a girl who turned out to be cheating on my son, I can extend it to a man who clearly loves my other son unconditionally."

Blaine couldn't shake the look of shock from his face. "I…I don't know what to say," he said. "Thank you."

"But Dad," Kurt said. "Finn and I graduate a year before Blaine. I thought you two were looking forward to having the house to yourselves…you won't kick him out when I graduate, will you?"

Carole smiled. "Not a chance. It's only one more year, honey, and if it means Blaine is safe and happy, then it's worth it. Besides, Finn is talking about staying here for a few years to run the tire shop, especially while your dad is in Washington. We would love to have Blaine here."

"I couldn't have said it better," Burt said. "Kurt, are you going to feel up to helping Blaine empty his car?"

"Where are we putting everything?" Kurt asked. He turned to Blaine. "How much did you bring?"

"Not really all that much. My clothes, my favorite pillow and blanket, my guitars, portable keyboard, laptop, school books that weren't in my locker, that sort of thing. Oh, and my hair gel."

"Of course, because we couldn't imagine a world in which Blaine didn't have a lifetime supply of hair gel," Kurt teased.

"To answer your question, Kurt, we'll put everything into the den for now. You're going to have to make some room in your closet, Kurt, but I'm sure you can figure it out. Carole said something about dry cleaning your out of season clothing and storing them in…something or other."

"Hermetically sealed bags," Kurt said. "Which is the only way they'll get to go into the basement. Wait. Blaine's sharing my room?"

"Well, I'm certainly not going to put him on the couch and have to tiptoe around while getting ready for work every morning," Burt said. "And the den is barely big enough to be called a den, much less a bedroom. Look, you're both adults. Or almost adults. And while I'd of course prefer it if nothing inappropriate happened in my house, Carole and I were up nearly half the night discussing the fact that you, Blaine and Finn aren't children anymore, and well…"

"We'd rather you boys had a safe place to do that which you're inevitably going to do," Carole said. "There, I said it. Now, supper's ready. You boys can empty Blaine's car later. I'm assuming you pulled up into the driveway for safety, Blaine, dear?" It might have been Lima, Ohio, but that didn't mean someone wouldn't want to break into a car filled with Blaine's belongings.

"I'm tucked in nice and close to the Navigator," Blaine said. He gave an exaggerated sigh, remembering. "The Navigator I still have to detail."

"Detail?" Burt asked as they walked into the dining room. "Why?"

"I…I uh…lost a bet," Blaine said. "A silly glee club bet on who would get into a fight two weeks ago. I lost, therefore I have to detail Kurt's car. I thought him breaking up with me would make the bet null and void, but he informed me that us getting back together effectively made the wager once again valid. So, tomorrow, while Kurt does whatever he's going to do to make my things mesh with his in his room, I'll be cleaning that humungous vehicle, inside and out." Blaine hated lying to Burt Hummel, but he knew that his boyfriend's father would just worry if he knew Kurt hadn't been driving the vehicle due to his injuries. The bet had actually been made, but the wager had merely been coffee.

"Let me guess," Burt said dryly, pulling out Carole's chair for her. "Kurt bet on Finn and Rachel." Who had had a minor disagreement two weeks previously. A loud minor disagreement.

"And I bet on the long shot, Mike and Tina," Blaine shook his head. "Sucker bet."

"Well, it sounds like you lost that one fair and square, son," Burt said to Blaine.

"Sounds fair to me," Kurt winked at Blaine, and squeezed his hand. He surveyed the dinner spread across the table. "This is incredible, Blaine," Kurt said. "And Dad, and Carole. I feel bad that I merely set the table." He served himself a small amount of everything.

"You did the only job we left for you," Carole smiled. "And you, you're spoiling this family, Blaine. First breakfast, now supper…and all delicious." She set her fork down. "So, boys, how was your day, before Blaine's father got involved?"

"Ugh, exhausting," Kurt said. "I don't really want to talk about it, except, you guys should know, the cops say if they catch the guy, they have enough to charge him."

"Really?" Burt asked. "But I thought there wasn't any evidence…"

"Well," Kurt smiled sheepishly. "Turns out your son is a little more intelligent than he gave himself credit for. I actually took pictures of the guy's truck and license plate with my phone. I didn't remember it. I turned the photos over to the cops, and they told me I'm not this guy's first target."

"That's horrible!" Carole exclaimed. "Well, wonderful that they can press charges, but horrible that he's gotten away with so much. Honey, for everyone's sake, I hope they catch him. And, can I just say, it's good to see you eating again. You lost far too much weight this last week." Which she had originally attributed to the break-up, but now she knew better.

"I'm on antibiotics," Kurt said. "I have to force myself to eat, even though I still don't have much of an appetite."

"We'll work you back up to it," Blaine promised. The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, and after clearing the table, Burt excused the boys to go empty Blaine's car, after which Blaine and Kurt settled onto the loveseat in the living room to watch a movie with Burt and Carole. Neither boy was particularly interested in watching, but both felt it was a sign of gratitude to the parents that they stayed.

Blaine didn't pay attention to the movie. He was wholly focused on Kurt leaning against him, on his arm around the other boy, trying to ignore the emotions welling up inside him. He'd been banished from the family, without so much as speaking to his mother, and it bothered him far more than he'd let on. It was positively Victorian, banishing the homosexual while still keeping their reputation pristine. Swallowing hard, Blaine mastered his emotions. This wasn't about him. All this did was give him more time to spend with Kurt. More time to take care of Kurt, to get Kurt over what had happened to him. He didn't have time to think about this. He had to take care of Kurt.

At the end of the movie, Burt stood and took Carole by the hand. "Well, Carole and I both have long days tomorrow, so we're going to turn in. Don't stay up too late tonight, boys."

"Yes, Dad," Kurt said, with just a hint of sarcasm.

"And if you see Finn, it's probably best if Burt and I explain it to him tomorrow," Carole said.

"And if you don't see Finn, he's probably grounded for missing curfew," Burt teased. He gave Kurt a hug, clapped Blaine on the shoulder, and followed his wife up the stairs.

As soon as they heard the parents' bedroom door close, Kurt looked at Blaine. "My room?" he asked softly. "Er…or should I say, our room?" The tension showed in his eyes.

Nodding, Blaine took Kurt's hand, and followed him up the stairs. "Don't be nervous," Blaine whispered as they closed the door behind them, turning Kurt to face him. "I'm not ever going to do anything you don't want. Are you worried about earlier?" He was relieved to have something to focus on other than his inner turmoil.

Kurt nodded. "I just…it was amazing, and incredible, and all that, but…"

"But you can't help but feeling it was wrong, too soon, or something?" Blaine asked. He tried to keep his tone gentle, but it was hard.

"No!" Kurt exclaimed softly, trying to keep his voice down. "That's not it at all." He sat down on the edge of the bed, laughing nervously. "I'm just…" he sighed.

"Kurt, you're going to have to help me out here. I failed elementary mind-reading three times, and they wouldn't approve the funding for a fourth try," Blaine said blithely.

"You…you what?" Kurt replayed the words in his head and started to laugh. "Elementary mind reading? Really? Where did you come up with that?"

"I thought that might loosen you up. It was something Wes said to me once, way back when. I always wanted a chance to use it. Now, seriously, though. You're going to have to tell me what you're thinking."

"I just…" Kurt looked down at his hands.

"Yes, we've established that you just….but what?"

"I don't want every time we're together to turn into a…you know."

Understanding dawned. "You don't want to lose the innocent cuddling just because we took another step," he said.

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. "And now that you're living here, and we're sharing a room, it's going to get even harder, and I don't want to lose what we had in favor of what we have, and I'm still not comfortable enough to reciprocate, and I feel like I took advantage of you earlier without giving anything back, and I don't know what to do!"

"What you're going to do is go cleanse and moisturize your skin. You're going to go through your normal nightly routine. Then you're going to put on your pajamas, crawl into bed with your also fully clothed boyfriend and you're going to cuddle. You're not going to worry about earlier, you're not going to worry about whether or not I feel cheated, I don't, you know, and you're just going to relax."

"How?" Kurt asked. "How do I relax? Seriously?"

"Just do as I said, and we'll figure out the rest as we go. Look, Kurt, I'm not going to lie. I had fun with you earlier. A lot. I would love to do that again, and more. But not until you're ready. I'm not going to push you, I'm not going to expect anything of you. I'm perfectly comfortable jerking off in your shower as necessary," he teased.

Kurt smiled slightly. "Well, if that's what floats your boat," he said. He went through his nightly routine by rote, then came back and crawled into bed beside Blaine. "Don't forget you have to detail the Nav tomorrow," he teased.

"Believe me, with you reminding me every hour, I won't be able to forget. You have a million things you can be doing while I'm taking care of that."

"Yup!" Kurt pulled his laptop over. "_Moulin Rouge?_" he asked, keying up the video.

"Only until you fall asleep. Then I'm putting on Harry Potter."

"Whatever you like, love," Kurt murmured. He snuggled into Blaine's chest, the laptop on his knees. They weren't half an hour into the movie before he was out cold, and Blaine closed the laptop, setting it on the floor under the bed, where it would be safe until morning. He pulled Kurt into his arms, and cradled his boyfriend's head to his shoulder.

Cuddled close, with nothing else to pull his attention but the soft shallow breathing of his boyfriend, the emotions finally hit Blaine. Tears streaked silently down his cheeks, crossing his chin to pool on the pillow beneath his head. He tried to keep his crying silent, he didn't want to disturb Kurt.

But the silent sobs wracked his body, and soon enough, Kurt woke up, disoriented. "Blaine?" he murmured, reaching up to stroke Blaine's tear-streaked cheek. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," Blaine whispered. "I'm just…having a bit of trouble processing."

Kurt struggled to sit up, turning on the low bedside lamp. "I can't sleep if you're crying," he said. "Talk to me." He switched positions with Blaine, pulling him so the shorter boy was laying against his chest, their arms loosely entangled across Blaine's body.

Blaine sighed. "Kurt, my dad kicked me out. Told me he didn't want to see my face, except when I come to my mother's birthday party, in two weeks, either by myself, or with a female date. I always knew being gay was unacceptable to my parents, but I never realized that he would practically disown me. Well, in my head I've been using the word banished…because I still have to appear 'normal' at family events. He sent my mother to my aunt's house, so she wouldn't have to be home when he gave me precisely half an hour to pack up my entire life and get it out of his house. He's so….strange, Kurt. I mean, he's depositing my allowance, and Dalton-equivalent room and board into my account so I have money. But he stood at the bottom of the stairs and told me I had half an hour to get my gear and get out. Then, he helped me load my car. I don't get it. And then you're acting like it's a lark, like it's great that we now get to live together and share a room. But I effectively lost my family today, Kurt, and I don't know how to handle it!"

"Shh," Kurt whispered, stroking Blaine's hair. He planted feather-light kisses all over his boyfriend's hair. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry I didn't think about what this would do to you. I'm sorry that I only saw the good side of all of this. I'm so sorry that I'm so shallow and self-centered."

Blaine wanted to tell him to stop making it all about himself. Instead, he buried his face in Kurt's neck and sucked gently at the skin, soothing himself.

"Blaine, wait." Kurt tugged gently at Blaine's curls, pulling the boy's head away from his neck. "Your parents want you to bring a female date to your mom's birthday?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"No," Kurt shook his head, sitting up and facing Blaine. "This is perfect. Absolutely perfect. Your parents want you to bring a female date. Which one would you like to take? Rachel, with the two gay days with ACLU connections, Santana, the Latina lesbian who will bitch them out if they make one negative comment, or Mercedes, my best black friend who again, won't let them get away with squat. You could take Britt, who wouldn't have a clue what was going on, Quinn, who is just a crowd pleaser, or Sugar, who would just really annoy them all, but I think Rachel, San, or 'Cedes would be the best."

"What about Tina?" Blaine had noticed that the Asian girl was the one Glee girl not mentioned. Not that he was seriously considering this plan. He would go solo.

"She's too in love with Mike for it to come across as genuine. Mercedes, while happy with Sam, is still my best girl, she'd do anything for me. Rachel's dating my brother, so I can blackmail her into it, plus you've been on a date with her. Santana…well, Santana will again do anything if it means a free meal and a chance to hate on some homophobes."

"While I would love to have Rachel throw her dads' ACLU connections in my parents' faces, I think it's best if I just go alone. I wouldn't want to add fuel to the fire, or make them think I might be 'acceptable' to them now."

"Well, it was a good idea while It lasted," Kurt sulked. "Are you sure I can't show up with you? I mean, sure they'd kick us out, but…"

"As proud as I am to be your boyfriend, as happy as I am to have you in my life, I'm going to protect you from this. It's not that I'm ashamed of you, don't think that. But you need to stay away from that dinner. Which means no, you, Rachel, and Mercedes can't just happen to show up. Besides, you can't afford any restaurant my parents would choose for this. It'll be exclusive, and probably shut down for the night except my mother's birthday party. Promise me you won't try to crash it."

"You know me too well," Kurt pouted. "Fine. But I reserve the right to have a sleepover with my favorite girls on that night."

Blaine sighed. "I'll probably want to see you after the disaster," he said. "But I understand."

Kurt smiled. "Alright. A sleepover in which I leave when I get the emergency call from my boyfriend who needs cuddles."

"Right. So I'm to call you when I'm on my way home from Westerville, and you'll sneak away from makeovers and facials to come home and cuddle me?"

"Absolutely," Kurt said firmly. "If you won't take one of my favorite girls to a fancier dinner than she's ever seen, then I'm going to have to spend the evening consoling us all. Of course, I could just have the girls over here, and you could crawl into bed between Rachel and I…no wait, that might be awkward, considering your history with her…"

"Oh, God, not this again," Blaine laughed, in spite of himself.

There were footsteps in the hall, and a light knock at the door. "Boys?" Carole asked softly. "Can you two keep it down?"

Kurt winced. "Sorry, Carole," he called quietly. He got up and walked over to the door, opening it. "Blaine's a little sad about everything that's happened. I was just trying to cheer him up by reminding him of some funny things."

Carole looked past Kurt and over to the bed, where Blaine was sitting up, clutching a pillow. "Are you okay, honey?" she asked. "Do you need a hug?" And just like that, she walked across the room in her dressing gown, settled onto her step-son's bed and drew her step-son's boyfriend into her arms, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you," Blaine breathed, burying his face in her neck. "Carole, you give the best hugs."

"You know, you're not the first teenage boy to say that," Carole said. "But besides Kurt, you're the first one I ever believed was just in it for the hug." She released him and leaned back, studying him.

"Ew," Kurt said. "Not to say you aren't beautiful, Carole, but, ew."

Carole smiled. "Finn is friends with Noah Puckerman," she pointed out.

"Enough said," Blaine laughed. "But seriously, thank you, Carole. I needed that hug."

"Do you boys think you can keep it down?" Carole asked. "Finn isn't home yet, and I'd hate for him to find out about the new family dynamic this late at night. And right before I have to ground him." She stood and walked back across the room, pulling Kurt into her arms for a tight hug.

"We'll be quiet. I'm sorry," Kurt said. "And he's right. You do give great hugs. But I already knew that. Look Blaine, another bonus of moving in. Daily hugs from Carole."

"I'm looking forward to that," Blaine said sincerely.

"I'm trying to tell him all the great things about living here. In-house French tutoring, for one. Home cooked meals every night, for another…"

"I get it," Carole said. "Goodnight, boys. Don't wake us up again, or we will be talking about converting the den. It's small, but it'll do until you go off to college, Kurt."

"Yes, _mom,_" Kurt said, then paused. He'd meant it in a teasing way, but now, he merely smiled. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. You too, Blaine." Carole walked back down the hall to the master bedroom.

Kurt shut the door and walked back over to the bed. "We have to be quiet," he whispered. "Which means we'll have to take to whispering in one another's ears, or sign language." He shut off the light, crawling back into bed and drawing Blaine into his arms.

"How about sleep?" Blaine whispered back.

"Okay," Kurt nodded. "Sleep sounds like a plan. I love you, Blaine Warbler Anderson."

"I love you too, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," Blaine shot right back. The two cuddled together, under the covers, falling into a deep sleep soon after.

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><p><strong>I just had to post something on Leap Day, because it'll be four more years before I have the chance to do that.<strong>

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**Reviews are important. Please review.**


	11. Blaine and Kurt, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

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><p>Both boys had slept through the night with minimal interruption, and Blaine awoke to the sunlight filtering through the blinds. He slipped out of bed and over to the washroom, then returned, gently pulling Kurt back into his arms. Kurt stretched, coming awake in Blaine's arms. "Mmm, good morning," Blaine murmured, pressing light kisses to his boyfriend's neck.<p>

"Oh, God, let me up," Kurt whispered urgently, trying to keep his face from Blaine's.

"What?" Blaine asked, frowning in confusion.

Kurt pulled away, practically sprinting across the room to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth like a mad man, ran a comb through his hair, and tried to make himself presentable. When he felt his breath was no longer deadly, he returned to the bedroom. "Morning breath," he said simply.

"Oh," Blaine smiled, chuckling softly at his boyfriend's preoccupation with perfection. "I wouldn't have minded. But just so you know, I brushed my teeth a little while ago. You were still out cold."

Kurt flushed. "Oh," was all he said. He pulled out clothes for the day. "I didn't need the towel last night," he said, staring down at the sheets.

"That's fantastic," Blaine said warmly. "Why don't you come back to bed and cuddle for just a little while? I don't hear anyone else up yet."

"I'm still in a lot of pain," Kurt said. "I want to go take a shower, apply that ointment, and take my antibiotics." Which Blaine had woken him up to take soon after he'd fallen asleep the second time. They'd both forgotten.

"Do you want my help?" Blaine asked. "Nothing more, just help applying it."

"Let me go take my shower, and then yes, I think I'd like that," Kurt said shyly. "I mean, you know where the cuts are inside."

"Exactly." Blaine gave him an encouraging smile. "Go take your shower, we'll do what we have to, and then I'll shower, and then we can have breakfast."

"Then you can-"

"Detail the Nav," the two boys said together, Blaine rolling his eyes. "Go," Blaine added. "I'll be here."

He pulled Kurt's laptop out from under the bed and woke it up. He began to type hotmail into the search bar, but pressing the letters h-o brought up a recent search of Kurt's: _how to commit suicide_. A gasp caught in his throat. But he already knew what Kurt had meant to do, and he was fairly certain that now, given that he would be spending most of his time with Kurt, nothing would happen. Besides that, Burt had insisted Kurt get some help. Blaine would make certain that happened. He finished loading up his email, and was surprised to see a letter from his mother's personal email address.

_My darling Blaine,_

_I am so sorry for what's happened. If it were up to me, you would still be living under our roof, but perhaps this is for the best. You crossed the line, bringing that boy to our house so many times in a row while we were away. Why couldn't you have been less obvious about it? That boy is so feminine, why can't you just date a girl? Blaine, sweetheart, I don't understand. I love you, and I want you to come back home. I couldn't see you when your father asked you to leave because I knew I would just start to cry. Please, my darling son, make this right and come back home. I'm so looking forward to my birthday dinner. I can't wait to see you. It would be so nice if you brought a nice girl from your new school, or even one of the sweethearts from Crawford. I'll see you then._

_Love always,_

_Your devoted mother_

Blaine swallowed hard. And reread the email. Twice to be sure. His mother had really compared dating Kurt to dating a girl. He sighed and wrote a quick email in response.

_Mother,_

_I am gay. Homosexual. Interested in men. Specifically, Kurt. I love him. This isn't a phase, a high-school fling. When I look into my future, all I see is him. No matter what, he's going to be a part of my life forever. And if you can't accept that, then I suppose seeing you on your birthday each year will have to be enough. _

_Blaine_

But he didn't send it. He saved it in drafts. And shut down the email page he'd opened. He was idly flipping through files on Kurt's computer, looking through the music on iTunes, rereading his NYADA essay, when he came across the folder entitled letters.

He couldn't help himself. He knew what the folder was. And Kurt had offered to let him read them. That meant it wasn't snooping, right? So he opened the folder, and looked at the list of files. His was second in the alphabetical list. He opened it.

_Blaine,_

_This is probably hardest on you. I know you won't understand why I had to do this. Why I pushed you away, and then took myself from you forever. You deserve more than a man who is less than whole. I love you. I never stopped loving you. Don't cry over me, I'm not worth it. Remember when you taught me to have courage? Well, it's your turn now. Chase your dreams, the world is waiting for you. I'm sorry. There was no other way. You were my perfect teenage dream. I'm sorry that life became such a nightmare that I couldn't go on. There are things I've left for you. Make sure you get them from my father. He knows what they are._

_I love you,_

_Kurt_

Blaine swallowed hard, not bothering to fight back the tears. He let them trickle down his cheeks, knowing Kurt would likely be awhile longer in the shower, and he'd have time to compose himself. Taking a shuddering breath, Blaine chose another letter from the list, the only one he'd not expected to see. The file had been titled 'Karofsky'.

_Dave,_

_This has nothing to do with you. We made our peace, and I hope, one day, you'll be able to come to terms with everything. In the end, you taught me things about myself I didn't know. Without our interactions, I might never have met Blaine. Funny how things work out. Take care of yourself. You deserve better than you've been accepting._

_Take care,_

_Kurt_

Blaine took a deep breath. And decided to click on one that would probably be short and sweet. He wasn't disappointed.

_Britt,_

_You're my favorite unicorn. Thank you for always being there for me. Be happy with Santana. Be true to yourself, and never stop believing. I know you want to cry, but it's not good for you, Britt. I love you._

_Your dolphin,_

_Kurt_

Kurt loved Brittany? Or was that how all the letters would read? He clicked on the one for Carole.

_Carole,_

_Please take care of my dad for me. I'm sorry to lay all of this on you, but he's going to need you now more than ever. You are an amazing person, and incredible mother, and I can't imagine anyone better for my dad at this point. Thank you for being so accepting of me. I'm sorry it came to this._

_Love always,_

_Kurt_

_Finn,_

_I know we've had our ups and downs, but you are truly the best brother I could imagine. Take care of our parents, and please, watch out for Blaine. He's going to need all the friends and support he can get. At least, I think he will. I hope he moves on. Anyway. Tell Rachel to stop crying. I'm not worth it, and her voice doesn't need the stress. I love you, big brother._

_Kurt_

Which made Blaine wonder what Kurt would have said to Rachel.

_Rachel,_

_Stop crying. Right now. Your voice can't handle the strain. You need to start working on your solos for my funeral and for Nationals. Because I'm certain we just won Regionals. I've instructed my dad to allow anyone who wants to from New Directions to sing, but you are the one with the most star power. Carpe diem. Do me proud._

_Your favorite Diva,_

_Kurt_

Blaine sighed. This was too much for him. There were others, including the one for Burt, that he couldn't bring himself to figured Mercedes' letter would be another he couldn't handle. He wiped furiously at his eyes. The shower stopped and closed the folder, and closed the laptop, setting it off to the side.

"Hey, Blaine? What do you say we go for a walk in the park later this afternoon?" Kurt asked, walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, as he towel-dried his hair. "Blaine? Baby, are you crying?" he asked.

"I read the letters," Blaine murmured. "They just….touched me."

"Did you read them all?" Kurt asked gently, walking over to the bed.

"No," Blaine shook his head. "Just a few. Mine, Finn's, Rachel's, Carole's…" he thought a moment. "Brittany, and Karofsky. That one surprised me."

"Why?" Kurt asked. "If you think about it, I might never have met you if it weren't for his bullying." He glanced at the computer. "You read the ones on the computer?" he asked.

Blaine nodded. "Why?" he asked. "Was that okay?"

"Of course. I typed them up as rough drafts. I used my stationery and calligraphy set to actually write them. Took me most of the night Tuesday. But I figured people deserved better than a typed and printed letter. I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Is there any difference?" Blaine asked. "Between the ones on the computer and the ones in the envelopes?"

"A word or two. Nothing major. Are you alright?"

Blaine nodded. "Just a little shaken. I don't know why. I knew they were there. It's just…seeing them. Anyway. Why don't you lie down, and we'll take care of your injuries. How was your shower?"

"Warm. You should join me sometime," Kurt said, lying down on his stomach, hugging a pillow.

"My, aren't we feeling bold today," Blaine teased. He got the tube of ointment off the bedside table.

"We wouldn't have to do anything," Kurt said. "I just…it's silly."

"What's silly?" Blaine asked, rubbing Kurt's back gently.

"Well," Kurt flushed slightly. "It's silly, but it's always been a fantasy of mine to wash your hair…run my fingers through it…"

"That's not silly," Blaine murmured. "I think it's hot. We'll do that when you're more comfortable with everything." He gently tugged at the towel. "Raise up, love, so I can get this off you."

Kurt lifted his hips enough for Blaine to pull the towel away. He winced as the terry cloth brushed over his semi-hard cock. He was stiff and trembling.

"I need you to relax for me," Blaine murmured, returning to running his hand over Kurt's back. "Take a few deep breaths. We've been here before. You liked it, ultimately."

"Can you make it feel good again?" Kurt asked in a tiny voice.

"If you want me to," Blaine offered. He uncapped the tube. "But you have to be sure. I don't want you to start thinking the way you did last night, like all I want from you is sex."

"N-no," Kurt stammered. "I'm sure. I know you're not…going to push. I think I need it, Blaine. To relax. I need this position not to scare me so much. Please, Blaine.

Blaine nodded. "Let's try something a bit different this morning," he said. "Hopefully this won't scare you as much as being on your stomach did. C'mere, face me." He slid beneath the duvet and drew Kurt into his arms, turning him so they were face to face, tucked beneath the blanket. "Bend your knee," he directed. He brought Kurt's top leg over his hip. "How's that?" he asked.

"Good," Kurt breathed. It was so intimate, face to face, Kurt was nearly able to forget how clinical this all was.

Blaine planted tiny kisses all over Kurt's face, even as he fumbled with the tube of ointment. "I'm sorry you're hurt," he said softly. "But this is so hot…"

Kurt smiled and flushed a light pink. "I can see the merit of this position," he whispered.

"Good," Blaine smiled. "If this works, we can apply the medication this way every time until you're better. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful." Kurt stiffened slightly as Blaine's coated finger slid between his cheeks, but relaxed almost immediately.

"There ya go," Blaine said, kissing Kurt in that delicate spot right behind his ear.

Kurt's eyes fluttered closed, and he rested his forehead against Blaine's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you," Blaine concentrated on what he was doing, and soon had all the injuries treated. "How's that?"

"Much better, at least, the pain," Kurt murmured. He looked up into Blaine's eyes. "Please…" he whispered.

Blaine nodded slowly. "Alright," he said. He captured Kurt's lips in a slow, deep kiss. Then, just as slowly, worked his finger deep inside Kurt's body, searching for the elusive spot.

Kurt gasped into Blaine's mouth, sucking his boyfriend's bottom lip between his teeth. "Yes…" he hissed.

"Touch yourself for me," Blaine instructed. Kurt looked unsure, but reached a hand down, wrapping tentatively around himself. But he didn't move his hand, and lying the way they were, Kurt was on top of Blaine's otherwise free arm. So, carefully, without removing his hand, Blaine moved around Kurt, rolling him onto his back and rising up over him. "Draw your knees up a bit," he said.

Kurt did so, and Blaine managed to reposition himself between Kurt's legs. "There we go," the curly-haired boy said. "Much better." Now his hand was free, and he wrapped it loosely around the throbbing rod. "How's that?"

Kurt nodded. "Please," he whispered again. "Make it feel better…"

"Of course." Blaine locked his eyes on Kurt's, watching as they changed color, from green to blue, deepening in passion.

Kurt's orgasm built up inside him, swelling ever higher. "Oh God," he whispered, trying to keep from screaming. "Blaine, I need…"

There was a light tapping at the door that had both boys freezing. "Boys? It's breakfast time," Carole called.

The boys froze. "We'll be right there," Blaine managed to call back, sounding somewhat normal. Carefully, ever mindful, he removed his hands from Kurt's body, reaching for the towel that had been pushed off to the side. "Later," he whispered. "I promise."

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><p><strong>I accidentally deleted this chapter...so hopefully this is the right one...I replaced the wrong chapter. Sorry guys! Please Read and Review!<strong>


	12. Family, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter. There shouldn't be anything too triggering in this chapter, a little bit of teary-eyed-ness, and a bit more of Papa Bear Burt, but again, this whole story has triggering bits.**

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><p>There was a light tapping at the door that had both boys freezing. "Boys? It's breakfast time," Carole called.<p>

"We'll be right there," Blaine managed to call back, sounding somewhat normal. Carefully, ever mindful, he removed his hands from Kurt's body, reaching for the towel that had been pushed off to the side. "Later," he whispered. "I promise."

Kurt swallowed hard. What had he been thinking? He managed to smile at Blaine. "Of course," he said. He quickly dressed, while Blaine cleaned up from the morning's ministrations. After washing his hands, Blaine pulled on clean clothes of his own.

"I'll shower after breakfast," he said. "Or maybe after I finish detailing the Nav."

Kurt nodded. "Alright," he said. "Um, they're waiting."

"It's okay, Kurt. Don't worry about it." Blaine offered a reassuring smile. "Let's go have breakfast. I was hoping to have a bit more time to work up an appetite, if you know what I mean."

"Uh huh," Kurt said. He quickly combed his hair and walked over to the door.

The boys sat down at the breakfast table. Carole served them up whole-wheat waffles, turkey bacon and chicken sausage. "I'm working the later shift tonight, boys," she said. "And then I'm off for two days. So Blaine, if you need anything to make you more comfortable here, just make me a list, and I'll go shopping in the morning."

"Carole, everything is great," Blaine said. "Well, mostly everything. You know. Sharing a bathroom with Kurt is likely to get on my nerves soon, but…" he grinned as his boyfriend took a teasing swipe at him. "I can't think of a single thing I need right now. Besides," he glanced over at Burt, who was chuckling silently behind his decaffeinated coffee. "If I did need anything, I'm sure I could find it in Kurt's stockpile."

"Except hair gel," Kurt said immediately.

"Except hair gel," Blaine allowed. He looked around the table at the caring smiles of Burt and Carole. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "You didn't take your meds this morning, Kurt. I'll go get them." He jumped up and headed back up the stairs to Kurt's bedroom.

"How did you two sleep?" Carole asked gently. "Did Blaine settle down?"

"He managed to fall asleep, and we both got a good eight hours," Kurt nodded. "It's tough right now," he said. "We're both…a little broken at the moment."

"I have a favor to ask you boys," Burt said. "Do you think you're up to a bit of a drive today? I would ask Finn, but I thought you and Blaine might like to take a short trip."

"What do you need?" Kurt asked, idly wondering what was taking Blaine so long.

"Carole couldn't get the night off," Burt said. "And I have to be in Washington until Friday. I'll be back before Regionals, don't worry. So I need a ride to the Columbus airport. I know it's a long drive, but I'll pay for your gas, and for you and Blaine to have a nice dinner out," he offered.

"Um, let me ask Blaine, but it shouldn't be a problem." Kurt stood and walked up to his room, finding Blaine sitting on the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands. "Blaine, what's wrong?" he asked, crossing over to the bed.

"Your family," he murmured through his hands. "They're…" He gave a watery smile. "They're incredible."

"They're your family too," Kurt said, kneeling at Blaine's feet. He placed his hands on Blaine's knees.

"They're just…" Blaine looked up at Kurt, eyes bright with unshed tears. "They're wonderful. So accepting."

Kurt nodded, understanding. "You'll get used to it," he said. "And until then, you can run away any time you need to," he said with a smile. "But I have a question for you."

"What?" Blaine asked, covering Kurt's hands with his own.

"Dad's just informed me he has to leave for Washington. Tonight. And Carole isn't going with him this time, because she has to work, which really sucks. So, he wanted to know if you and I would drive him to Columbus tonight. He offered to buy us a nice dinner out."

Blaine thought for a moment, then nodded. "We'll go," he said. "If you promise to let me drive, and you promise to rest on the drive into Columbus."

Kurt smiled and squeezed Blaine's hand. "I can do that, but Dad may want to drive out there, I don't know. I promise I won't ask to drive, though." he said. "But you need to come eat breakfast, so you have time to detail the Nav before we go. Can't have Dad driving it the way it is."

Blaine nodded. "I'm on it," he said. He handed Kurt the pill bottle. "You need to take this."

"I'm on it," Kurt promised. He stood and offered Blaine a hand up. "Our breakfast is getting cold."

"Yes, it is," Burt said from the doorway. "Is everything alright, kid?" He was looking at Kurt.

"We're getting there," Blaine said, crossing the room to the door. "Sir, Burt, I just want to say thank you. Again."

"No need. Just be good to my kid. And come eat. Carole is about to go wake up Finn, and I don't think you boys want to be at the table when he comes down to eat."

"That's the best way to kill my appetite," Kurt smirked. "C'mon, love, let's go." He tugged Blaine out of the room and back down the stairs. They were able to hear Carole at Finn's door.

"Finn, I'm not going to tell you again. There is food on the table. It is getting cold. I'm not making anything else, so you'll have to settle for cold cereal if you don't come now!"

"I'm not hungry." Blaine and Kurt exchanged a glance.

"Let me try, Carole," Kurt said. "Blaine, you go down and eat, I'll just be a minute."

"Thanks, honey," Carole said, kissing Kurt's cheek. "He knows Blaine stayed again, but he doesn't know about him living here, yet," she whispered. She and Burt headed down the stairs, Blaine following along behind.

Kurt knocked on Finn's door. "Finn, it's me. Everyone else went downstairs," he said. "I don't know what's going on, but seriously, turning down Sunday breakfast? That's not like you. Can I come in?"

"I guess, but close the door behind you."

Kurt let himself into the bedroom, and immediately started to laugh. "How in the world did you pull this one off?" he asked. Rachel was curled up on her side in Finn's bed, trailing a hand over his arm.

"We fell asleep," Finn looked at his feet. "And didn't hear Rachel's alarm. So now, I dunno what to do. I mean, it's not fair that you and Blaine get to sleep in your room with the door closed."

Kurt sighed. "That's a story for another time, Finn," he reminded. "But this isn't that hard. And I don't know why you didn't already think of it. It might be too late now, but I can play this one. I think. Both of you come downstairs in about two minutes. Let me handle it. You're going to be in trouble for the door being closed, but probably not much, considering. Rachel, you got here early this morning because Finn promised to…do something with you today. Make something up. A picnic or something." He glanced out the window. "Yeah, it's sunny enough for that. A picnic. But Finn's being lazy and unmotivated, so you sat down to wait. You got here before Carole and Dad woke up, and texted Finn to come down and let you in. Okay?"

"Do you always lie like this?" Rachel asked, eyes wide.

"No," Kurt said. "Never. But I don't want Finn grounded. And he's right. Blaine and I are sleeping in my room. So I feel like I kinda owe him. But breakfast is going to be ice-cold, so let's go. Give me two minutes."

"Thanks, dude," Finn said. "They'll buy it. You never lie."

"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure," Kurt said. "But I'll give it a try. Thanks for having clothes on when I came in, by the way."

"No problem. I don't want you looking at Rachel any more than-"

"I meant you, Finn. I have sleepovers with Rachel." With that said, Kurt spun on his heel and stalked out of the room and down the stairs, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he strode back into the dining room. "Well!" he said. "That was fun!" He slipped into his chair and took a bite of bacon before beginning to talk.

"What's going on with Finn?" Carole asked.

Kurt swallowed. "Rachel showed up practically before the sun was up," he said, shaking his head. "And he was slow getting going, apparently they're going for a picnic or something, so she's upstairs, hanging around, waiting for him. And he was embarrassed, because he knows what it looks like. What I assumed it was. Except that Rachel isn't wearing the same outfit she was wearing when she texted me that picture before their date last night." He shook his head again. "Which, surprisingly, I told her was an okay outfit for once. They'll be down in a minute. Everyone act normally." The last sentence caused both Carole and Blaine to smirk.

Burt sighed. "So, Rachel's upstairs, in Finn's room, with the door shut," he said. He shook his head. "Well, guess all we can do is set another place at the table."

"And I'll cook up some of the tofu sausage," Carole said. "Not much else we can do about it at this point. But Blaine, Kurt, I'm going to want to talk to the two of them, so if you could…"

"We're almost done," Kurt said. "In fact, I am done. Blaine?"

"Just a few more bites," Blaine said. He finished the sausage and swallowed another gulp of coffee.

"Great!" Kurt exclaimed. He clapped his hands together. "Let's clear our dishes and get out of the parents' way!" He picked up his plate and coffee cup, and walked into the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Blaine whispered, helping Kurt load their dishes into the dishwasher.

Kurt shook his head, mouthing 'upstairs' and leading the way back to his bedroom. "Rachel stayed the night," he whispered once they were in his room with the door closed. "Seriously. And I just did my best to get them out of trouble. Mainly because…well, I actually don't know why I did it. Probably because he's my brother. And Rachel is my friend." He sighed. "So, anyway. You go detail the Nav, and I'll make room for your clothes in here. Should take us both about the same amount of time."

"Alright," Blaine said. "Tonight, though, after we get back from Columbus?"

Kurt nodded. "When we get back from Columbus," he confirmed. They both knew what they meant.

Blaine smiled. "Help me gather the supplies I need?" he asked with a grin.

Kurt gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine," he laughed. He and Blaine made their way to the garage, where he gave Blaine a kiss before they reluctantly parted company for a little while.

It was early afternoon when Burt knocked on Kurt's bedroom door. "That boy has been working on your car all day, Kurt," he laughed.

"I know," Kurt said. "But, in other news, I made more room than I thought possible in here. Since we moved Mom's dresser in here, I've given Blaine half of my big dresser. And cleared out quite a bit of closet space. Carole and I have to go shopping for some clothing storage, but it's all going to work out."

"Why don't you hang your extra clothes in that tiny closet in the den for now?" Burt asked. "But we have to get going soon if we're going to make it to Columbus in time."

"Did you tell Blaine that?" Kurt asked. "He wants to take a shower. Thankfully he's not like me in that way, he won't be in there for three hours. But we'd better tell him now."

"He'll be in soon," Burt nodded. "I'm going to go put my bags in your car. And kid? Next time you trick your boyfriend into cleaning out your car because of a little stain on the upholstery, you can just tell us. No need to make up elaborate stories. "

"How did you…" Kurt looked amazed.

"I walked out when Blaine was just getting started and asked if he needed any help. We did a fluid top-up and checked your tire pressures. But not before he had to tell me the whole story. I hate that you were hurt like that, son, but I don't want you hiding that kind of thing from me. Or lying to me. I give you a lot of trust. A lot of leeway. Don't abuse it. I mean it, Kurt."

"Sorry, dad," Kurt flushed.

"Mr…Burt," Blaine said, walking into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm actually the one who lied to you there."

"Uh-huh. To spare Kurt's feelings. I got that. Don't do it again."

"We won't, sir. And just so you know, the bet really did happen as we described. It's just the wager was coffee, not a car detailing."

"That sounds about right," Burt laughed. He offered both boys a smile. "You have forty-five minutes until we need to leave. I just wanted to get the awkward part of the talk over so you boys weren't living in fear of the drive. I'm planning on reading the briefs I've been faxed, so you two will have to entertain yourselves. Your old dad isn't going to do it for you."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Also. Finn knows Blaine's living at the house. He's not thrilled, but he understands. We sent Rachel upstairs while we told him the details, and he understands that it's another secret he is to keep until you say otherwise. The party line is that Blaine's father asked us to take him in, to lessen Blaine's commute to McKinley. That's what Carole and I agreed would be best to tell him. I hope you don't mind."

"That sounds perfect for now," Kurt said. Blaine nodded in agreement.

"Then that's settled. Forty-five minutes, boys, and in the car. I'm assuming Blaine is driving?"

Kurt nodded. "I'm not up to it," he said. "And Blaine made me promise I would rest."

"Good. See you then." Burt left the room.

"Let me go take a quick shower, so we can get going," Blaine said. He looked around the room, at the neatly stacked piles of clothes on every available surface. "Wow," was all he could say.

"I brought your things in," Kurt said. "You have those three drawers there," he pointed, "and the first half of the right side of the closet. If you need more space, we'll figure it out. Tomorrow after school."

"I'm going to go shower, and then we'll head to Columbus."

"No gel?" Kurt practically begged.

"No gel," Blaine acquiesced. He gave Kurt a quick, hard kiss, and headed for the bathroom. Kurt busied himself putting some of Blaine's clothing away, but before he realized it, Blaine was back and getting dressed.

Kurt turned away, still putting clothing away.

"It's okay to look, you know. I do."

"I know. And I want to. But I can't." Kurt sighed. "Please respect that." He was nearly comfortable being naked in front of Blaine, it still bothered him, but it was a means to an end. Seeing Blaine, however, still sent him into a near panic. He didn't want to analyze why.

"I understand," Blaine said. "My pants are on. Come help me with my bowtie."

Kurt stood in front of Blaine as the shorter boy buttoned his shirt, holding the bowtie that had been sitting on the vanity. "You don't need help with your bowtie," he pointed out.

"No," Blaine agreed. "But I like it anyway." He waited until Kurt's hands were occupied before leaning in for a kiss. His arms went around his boyfriend's waist, and Kurt sighed against Blaine's lips. He abandoned the bowtie in favor of tangling his fingers in Blaine's curls.

"Mmm," Kurt murmured, before pulling away. "C'mon, Dad's going to be waiting."

"We still have twenty minutes," Blaine countered. "Let's…"

"Let's not, and say we did, or better yet, let's just not," Kurt said. "Blaine, we're going to be stuck in a car with my dad for over two hours. It's bad enough that I'm going to be thinking about our aborted attempt this morning. I don't want to have anything else to feel guilty about. Can we go? I'm sure Dad is ready."

"Pack a small bag with a book, your medication, and anything else you'll need for being away until tonight," Blaine directed. "Then, we can go."

Kurt did as instructed, knowing Blaine was right. He packed everything he could possibly need, including his iPod and Blaine's. They could argue about music on the way, even though they each had the other's favorites in a special playlist.

The drive was uneventful. Burt sat in the backseat, going over papers and reading letters. He had never even thought about politics until Sue Sylvester's campaign. But here he was, thrust into the heart of the US congress. And there were laws he had to get changed.

By the time they arrived at the airport, Burt had questioned both Kurt and Blaine on their views on a number of topics affecting young people, specifically young gay people. And he'd taken copious notes. He wasn't sure when he'd have a chance to start making changes, but that's why he had become a congressman. To make changes. And he would be damned if he let that opportunity pass.

"Have a safe flight," Kurt said, checking his dad's tickets. "We'll see you on Friday, though we'll be rehearsing, so I'm sure Carole will have to come get you. Be careful, carry your wallet in your breast pocket at all times, don't stay up all night, and find healthy takeout options."

"Yes, Kurt," Burt said with a smile. "And you. You two don't give Carole or Finn a hard time. Got that? Be good, be discreet. I'll see you Friday. Good luck in rehearsal this week. Or break a leg. Or whatever it is I'm supposed to say."

"Thanks, Dad," Kurt said. He hugged his father. "You'd better go, or you'll miss your flight."

"Just a minute," Burt pulled out his wallet. He pulled the credit card with Kurt's name on it out of the fold. "For dinner, and fuel for the car. Nothing else. Got it? I'll be checking the bill."

"Got it," Kurt said. "So…McDonald's and a new McQueen are out?" he teased.

"As if I thought you'd ever set foot in a McDonald's," Burt laughed. "I'll see you boys on Friday. Have a good week. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." Kurt hugged his father one more time, and was surprised when Burt pulled Blaine in for a hug as well.

"Thank you," Burt said, patting Blaine on the back. "Thank you for taking care of my son. Thank you for saving his life."

Blaine smiled. "That's what you do when you're in love," he said softly. "Now go and make us proud. Marriage equality in all fifty states, right?"

"Let's take it one step at a time," Burt said. "But yes. That's the ultimate goal. So you two can get married, in a long long time, whenever, and wherever you want. After a very, very long engagement. Which will not happen until after you both have graduated high school, and preferably college. In fact, thirty sounds good. You boys like thirty? I like thirty."

Kurt laughed, the melodic tones ringing through the terminal. "Dad, like Blaine said, just go and make us proud," he said. He kissed his dad's cheek. "Go now, before you miss your flight and Blaine and I have to stay here all night babysitting you."

"I'm going, I'm going." Burt headed to security, looking back over his shoulder at his son and Blaine, standing side by side by not touching. Maybe someday, they'd feel safe enough to hold hands in a place like this. Hopefully, Burt Hummel in Congress could make it happen.

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><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED! I actually have the next part ready to go, believe it or not! It'll be up when the FOLLOWING part is nearly complete, so that I don't have to go so long without an update again... Please review!<br>**


	13. Interlude 2, Burt and Carole

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction, and it's going to potentially contain triggers for all sorts of squicky stuff. So please, if you're easily triggered by mentions of rape, suicide, depression, I won't be at all offended if you go find another story to read. I'd appreciate it, however, if you do read it, please review! The more reviews, the faster I post the next chapter.**

**Note: This is an interlude which explains why Burt and Carole didn't lose it when Kurt and Blaine explained everything in their living room. They waited. And lost it later that same night. Many many thanks to the lovely reviewer who prompted me to post this little interlude...it would have stayed firmly on my hard drive otherwise. So thank you, Azaelia67. This one's for you. It takes place the same night as Chapter 7.  
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><p><em>Innocence Lost - An Interlude - Burt and Carole<em>**  
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Burt nodded. "Alright," he said. "Let's go, Carole." He reached for his wife's hand and led her toward the door. They put their shoes and coats on and walked outside. "I can't believe this," he said quietly.

"Neither can I," Carole said. "Poor Kurt. He's so young…"

"And so inexperienced," Burt said. "I mean, when I forced him to have that talk about sex, he knew nothing, Carole. About sex in general, much less about sex between men. And now, to be introduced to it so….horribly." He shook his head. "Carole, what do we do?"

"We make sure he knows we're here for him, that we don't judge him, and," Carole turned toward Burt and looked into his eyes, "we accept that he and Blaine are serious about one another, and we give them a safe place to be together."

Burt sighed. "I don't know that I'm ready to take things that far. But I'll consider it."

"That's all I can ask," Carole said. "Now. About that walk." The two set off on their normal evening path. They'd made it as far as the park a block away when Burt sat down heavily on a bench, burying his face in his hands. "Honey?" Carole asked, momentarily concerned for her husband's heart.

"I can't believe this!" Burt exclaimed. "How did we miss this? How did we miss the signs? He's been withdrawn, he broke up with Blaine, for God's sake! How did we miss this?"

Carole bit her lower lip, and sat down next to him. "I didn't. Well, not really. But your son is very, very good at twisting the truth to suit himself. He told me he'd been experimenting," she said quietly. "When I confronted him about the blood on his clothing, he told me he'd been…" she sighed. "He'd been experimenting, by himself. And caused a little tear, that'd made him bleed. It was the most embarrassing conversation I've had. With either of our kids. Ever. He swore it had nothing to do with breaking up with Blaine. Blaine himself told me he and Kurt hadn't been sexually active. So I let it go. I swear, Burt, if I had had any idea that he was lying…"

Burt clenched his teeth, then looked up at his wife. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Kurt was embarrassed enough. Burt, honey, I'm a nurse. I've dealt with these kind of injuries before, and the amount of blood was consistent. So I simply left a tube of antibiotic ointment on his bedside table when he went to school on Tuesday, with a note saying I hoped he'd use it. When I next saw him, he gave me a shy smile and said thank you. So I thought it was done. He knew he could come to me, he accepted my help, and I seriously thought it was done. I'm sorry." She rubbed his back, blinking back tears.

"It's not your fault. We agreed we'd parent the boys equally, and if something seemed better suited to one or the other of us, we'd handle it. But, fuck, Carole, my boy was raped! By some faceless scumbag! And he doesn't even want us calling the cops. I'm half-tempted to do it anyway."

Carole shook her head, a watery smile crossing her face. "He's going to the clinic in the morning. He's a minor. As long as he tells them the truth, which Blaine will make him, they'll call the police for us. They have to report child abuse, which this technically is. You don't have to betray his trust, you can stay his big, strong, dad, and he'll get the help he needs."

Burt looked at her in amazement. "That's why you didn't break down back there. You'd already figured it all out."

She nodded. "And if for some reason you don't get a call from Kurt while he's at the clinic, asking your permission to speak to the police officers alone, then we'll call the police when he gets home. We'll give the boys tomorrow to handle it, the way Kurt wants to, and then we'll act, if we need to. After a week, there's no chance of any physical evidence that can actually tie the bastard to the crime, but the police are going to ask him about everything. I just want him to think he's in control. Rape survivors need that, honey."

Burt nodded. "And I suppose a newly minted US Congressman landing himself in jail for murder, however justified, wouldn't look too good. Sue Sylvester would probably get my seat." He clenched his fists at that thought. What he really wanted was just five minutes alone with the guy who had the audacity to hurt his son.

"There you go. Being logical." Burt grunted. "But honey, please stay calm. Your heart doesn't need the stress. I know you're upset-"

"Damn right I'm upset! He raped my kid!" Burt stood and began walking again. "How's he supposed to get over this, Carole? I mean, I'm still getting used to the idea of him having a boyfriend, and they've been together almost a year. And by their own admission, they still haven't…is it wrong of me to think this would have been easier on him if I hadn't been so against him having sex? If I'd…somehow encouraged it?"

"Do not go blaming yourself for this," Carole said firmly, walking quickly to catch up. "Whether he'd had sex or not leading up to this, it wouldn't have changed what happened. Rape and sex aren't the same thing. You know that. Yes, he might have had more of an idea of what was going to happen. But who's to say that wouldn't have made it worse? Who's to say it wouldn't have made him incapable of a healthy sexual relationship?"

"Who's to say it hasn't?" Burt asked quietly. "Who knows what's going to happen from here?'

"That's why you're going to send an email to Emma Pillsbury tomorrow morning, asking her to call Kurt into her office first thing Monday morning. She'll recommend a suitable counselor, and we'll get both boys to go. Kurt and Blaine, I mean. I'm pretty sure Finn will be uncomfortable, but he's not likely to have any lasting trauma, don't you think?"

"I don't know," Burt mused. "Finn has always had that bit of a protective streak. We have to be prepared for the very real possibility that he's going to do what Finn does and blame himself for not protecting Kurt. Plus, I'm fairly certain Finn has never considered the idea of a man being raped. Or the mechanics of how that could happen. This may be far more traumatic than either you or I realize."

Carole sighed. "You're right. Better have Emma call in all of them, separately."

Burt looked at his wife. "This really happened," he murmured. "I've spent so much time getting ready to go to Washington, and getting the shop in order, that I didn't even notice my son's life falling apart."

"Stop it," Carole said firmly, turning Burt to face her on the sidewalk. "Don't start doing this. You are not a bad parent. You just got too used to Kurt being happy and safe. Which is in no way a bad thing. Burt, honey, you couldn't have changed that this happened."

"But…Carole, what if he'd killed himself. What if he'd gone through with it? How would I have ever known why he did it? How would any of us have gotten through that? That kid in our house, he saved my son's life."

Carole smiled. "You always did like Blaine," she reminded.

"Not always. Not the first time I met him, drunk and in my kid's bed. But after that, yeah, I have to say I like him a lot. And he and Kurt…"

"They're good for one another," Carole agreed. "But he knew he'd done nothing wrong to provoke the break-up. You and I, we had no idea why Kurt broke up with him, not really. It was entirely feasible for us to think that Kurt's attitude this last week was because of the break-up and nothing more. We're parents, not mind-readers."

"I know," Burt said. "But…I should have asked more questions. I should have made him tell me what was wrong."

"Are you forgetting which teenager we're talking about?" Carole asked. "Because, honey, he's your son. Your stubborn, mule-headed, wonderful, incredible, son. He wouldn't tell us his secrets for anything. Anything short of Blaine."

"You know, most people say high school love doesn't last…"

"But you and I, we know it does," Carole said. She smiled sadly. "Let's get home. We still have to tell Finn what happened, and there's at least one movie I want to see tonight. The next few weeks aren't going to be easy, especially with you in Washington for most of next week, but we'll make it through. I promise. We'll make it through."

"You really think we should let Kurt and Blaine sleep with the door closed, don't you," Burt said as they meandered back toward the house.

"Yes, I really think so," Carole said. "Look, in a few months, Kurt's going to go to New York, and Blaine's stuck here another year. He already commutes over an hour each way, just to spend time with Kurt. He'd still be at Dalton if it weren't for Kurt, and you and I both know it. That's not a light decision to make. The boy is nothing if not responsible. And I don't think he'd lay a finger on Kurt. Not right now, at least. But Burt, honey, weren't you the one to tell me they don't have any safe place to be alone? They can't go parking the way we might have in high school, they can't even make out in the back of a movie theatre, or worse, even hold hands in a restaurant. Clearly, Blaine's parents don't support his sexual orientation. I just…I know I'm over-stepping, that he's your son, but I just feel like they need some place to be alone, together. To be teenagers, in love."

"You're not over-stepping. You're the only mother figure he has now. But you're suggesting essentially just giving them a place to have sex," Burt said. "After all of this, I don't want to think of Kurt having sex at all."

"I know, sweetie. But if they want to have sex, us telling them they can't do it in our house isn't going to change them wanting to. They'll find a place. And it's not going to be a safe place."

Burt sighed. "I need some time to think about this. For tonight, we'll just close the door so they aren't disturbed. We'll discuss this more later, I'm sure."

Carole nodded. "Because it's different with Finn," she said. "And I don't want double standards, and yet…"

"Yeah," he said. "We have to figure all this out. Somehow."

Carole squeezed his hand. "Let's go enjoy our movie. Kurt is safe for tonight."

"I love you."

"I love you."

Back at the house, Carole poured two glasses of red wine. "You put the movie in, I'm going up to check on the boys," she directed her husband. She walked on silent feet up the stairs and peeked into the room through the open door. What she saw brought a smile to her face. The two boys, curled up around one another, obviously fully clothed, hands where she could see them all. The determined look on Blaine's face, even in sleep, told her she had nothing to worry about. Blaine would protect Kurt, no matter what. She pulled the door shut, not wanting to wake them when she and Burt started their evening movie.

By silent agreement, the two adults didn't speak about the events of the evening during the movie. Not until Finn walked through the door, feeling his way through with his eyes closed in a most comic display. Carole had had a hard time not laughing. They finished their explanation, sent Finn up to bed, and turned the movie back on.

After the movie, Carole straightened the living room while Burt checked all the locks. Sure that his family was safe inside the house, he took his wife by the hand and led her to the bedroom. But he couldn't sleep, and he lay on his side, watching her in the moonlight streaming through the window.

Carole felt her husband's tension beside her, and finally rolled to face him. "You want to talk some more?" she asked softly.

"I think I need to," Burt said, pulling her in to lie against his chest. "They're adults, aren't they."

"Pretty close," she acknowledged. "Finn is eighteen, Kurt's only a few months away, and Rachel and Blaine will be by the end of the year."

"We have to let them make their own decisions, don't we," he continued.

"It would be wise. They're not going to have parents holding their hands in New York. They're not going to have us saying 'do this, don't do that,' every time they get a wild thought in their heads."

"When did you become so pragmatic and logical?" Burt asked, stroking his wife's hair.

"When my son's girlfriend moved into my house for several weeks, saying she was pregnant with his child. And that was over two years ago. If they were old enough to make a child…"

"But Finn didn't."

"But he didn't know that. And he went out, and got a job, and did the responsible thing. He may be a little innocent at times, but Finn isn't a child. And I don't treat him as one, well, I try not to. I let you do most of the parenting when it comes to Kurt, but I feel I should have a say in some of this."

"Of course," Burt said. "You know that. We do this together, Carole. I've never contradicted a single thing you've said to Kurt, and never purposefully undermined anything you've said to Finn. As far as I'm concerned, you're the mother in this household, and what you say goes, just as much as me."

She smiled. "I didn't mean it like that, love," she said. "When I peeked into Kurt's room tonight, I could tell three things. One, they were both in pajamas. Two, hands were where I could see them. And three, and probably most important, even in sleep, Blaine looked like he would take on the world if Kurt needed him to. No, these boys aren't kids. And that scares me."

"I still want to kill the bastard."

"I know you do. And I wish to God that Kurt had come to us a week ago. I'm going to talk to him this week, while you're in Washington, and see if I can't impress upon him that we're here, we're not going to judge him, and all we want is for him to be safe, and happy. I don't want any of our boys hiding serious stuff like this." Carole looked up, and kissed Burt on the chin. "Now go to sleep," she said. "You have to go to the shop in the morning."

Burt groaned. "They'd better do what they said they would do," he said about Blaine and Kurt. "Because if he doesn't go to the clinic, I'm taking him to the emergency room. And calling the cops."

"Of course. Don't beat yourself up too badly over this, honey," Carole said gently. "Everything is going to be alright. Somehow." Kissing him one more time, she rolled onto her side, her back to Burt, snuggled into him.

Burt rolled onto his side, pulling her closer to him. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her hair.

"I love you," she responded. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. It was only a moment before she felt her husband shuddering behind her, as he sobbed silently. She rolled back to him, cradling his head to her chest. "Shhh…" she whispered. She stroked a hand up and down his back. "It's okay. Just let it out."

It was a long time before either of them fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Please read and review <strong>


	14. Date Night

**Note: More M-rated m/m fun times ahead. And brief mention of m/f Finchel funtimes, so be warned. Also, some angst and major feels from Kurt. Carole is the most awesome mom ever. Just sayin'. I miss Burt. Why did I send him to Washington? Oh yeah. Because he had to go there SOMETIME. Just because the show hasn't seen fit to send him to his NEW JOB doesn't mean I can be so lax.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Glee.**

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><p>Blaine had made reservations at a decent French restaurant in Columbus, without telling Kurt. He refused to tell Kurt where they were going until they arrived. The smile and gasp of surprise were more than enough to make up for the previous badgering Blaine had taken on the topic of supper.<p>

They had a great time. Romantic and quiet, with a waiter who obviously envied the easy love between the two. They didn't notice if anyone disapproved of them, they had eyes only for one another.

All too soon, they were in the car, on the way back home. Fingers entwined as Blaine drove one-handed, for once thankful his boyfriend drove an automatic. Kurt was curled up in his seat, dozing off and on as the miles flew by.

The low fuel light came on as they reached the outskirts of Lima, and Kurt came fully awake as Blaine pulled into an open gas station. "No!" Kurt exclaimed. "Blaine…"

Blaine frowned, looking at the gas gauge, then back at Kurt. "Kurt, is this…" his boyfriend nodded vigorously, and Blaine sighed. "Baby, it's okay. We're going to pay by credit card at the pump. You don't even have to get out of the car, and if you like, you can hold my hand the entire time through the window. No one's setting foot in the store, and you won't take your eyes off of me. But we need gas, and we're here. We're not going to be anywhere near where the trucks are, okay? Stay in the car. I'll be right back."

"Fine," Kurt whispered. "But hurry. I don't know how long I can handle being here." Hands visibly shaking, Kurt handed Blaine the credit card and watched warily as his boyfriend stepped out of the car. Blaine started the fuel pumping, then turned to Kurt's window, finding it already down. Kurt clutched his hand tightly through the frame, trying to keep the tears from coming. "Blaine," Kurt whimpered. "I…I can't….please…"

Blaine weighed the options. Burt had offered a full tank of gas. But Kurt's ability to keep a tight hold on reality was faltering. He would explain it to Burt, and hopefully the man would let them fill the car again another time. He stopped the pump at halfway, closing the gas tank and sliding back behind the wheel. "Shh," he whispered, reaching again for Kurt. "It's okay. We're both fine, nothing happened. We're together. Nothing's going to happen when we're together."

Kurt clutched his hand tightly until they got back to the house, barely letting Blaine let go so he could get out. Blaine led a still-shaken Kurt up to their room, but both boys stopped in their tracks about halfway up when they heard some rather distinct noises coming from the bedroom down the hall. "You've got to be kidding me," Kurt muttered, instantly forgetting why his heart was pounding and hands shaking. He stalked over to Finn's door, knocking loudly. "I'm not covering for you two again!" he shouted. "So don't sleep through the alarm. Be gone before Carole gets home, Rachel."

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed through the door. "Not cool! What the hell are you guys doing here? I thought you were out for the night!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finn, Blaine lives here. I live here. Where exactly did you expect us to go for the night? Not like we live at Dalton anymore. We are going to be here, every single night. Get used to it."

Blaine kept his mouth shut until Kurt pulled him into their room and fairly slammed the door. "Baby?" he asked softly.

"Fuck," Kurt swore. He wrenched open the door and strode back down to Finn's room. "And Rachel, my dearest, best friend," he said, keeping his tone sweet. "Remember, I covered for you today, so Finn isn't grounded. Therefore, if you breathe a word about Blaine living here before he's ready to tell people, I'll make sure Dad and Carole get all sorts of information. Information you do not want them to have. Are we clear?"

"Of course, Kurt," Rachel called. "I would never divulge Blaine's secret."

"Yes you would," Kurt said. "But it would be hypocritical of me to deride you for being a gossip, given that I relied on it while I was at Dalton. Just, please, this time it's really important. So just keep your mouth shut for now, and we'll let you know when it's okay to let the cat out of the bag. Goodnight, Rachel. Goodnight, Finn. Keep the noise down, okay?"

"Sorry, dude," Finn called.

Kurt shook his head, and walked back to his bedroom. "Turn up the music," he said, closing the door. "Loudly. I'm going to take a shower, and they're having sex."

Blaine smiled slightly. "It's okay that they know," he said, looking up at Kurt from his perch on the edge of the bed. "Everyone is going to find out soon enough. I say we go with the 'my parents asked your parents if it was okay because I was commuting too far' defense."

"That's what Finn thinks is the truth anyhow, that's what he's going to tell Rachel," Kurt agreed. "So. Shower time. I'll be back soon. I'm sure you can occupy yourself, right?"

Blaine chewed on his lower lip for a moment, weighing what he was about to ask. "Can I join you?" he finally managed.

Kurt looked startled. He had suggested it that morning, but he still wasn't comfortable with Blaine being naked around him. "Um…"

"It's okay," Blaine said. "I just thought you might like to wash my hair, like you said you wanted to. And your dad and Carole are both gone for the night, Finn and Rachel are occupied…but it's okay, Kurt. We don't have to."

"No, I do, it's just…" Kurt sighed. "I'm getting far more comfortable being naked with you, but having you naked with me…I mean, I let you…with your fingers…but…"

Blaine smiled. "I know you're not ready to do anything besides lie there and let me touch you. I'm fine with that. And I'm not ever going to do anything you don't want. So if your issue is that you think me being naked is going to make me do something to you that you don't want, think again."

Kurt sighed. "You really can read me like a book, can't you."

"Sometimes. Not as often as I'd like. So, am I jerking off on your bed, or do I get the shower first?" Blaine asked.

"You can come with me," Kurt decided. "But would you mind if we turned off the light and just lit some candles or something? It's…bright in there."

"Why don't you just sit back and relax, let me take care of that?" Blaine asked. "Maybe do some of that homework that's due in a matter of hours that we haven't touched yet. I'll get everything ready in the bathroom."

Kurt smiled. "The homework is easy," he said. "At least, mine is. And I can help you with yours. We'll be done in no time." He sat down and pulled out his books, stumbling through his math homework in a matter of minutes. His history paper wasn't due until a week from Monday, and he realized with a start that he was actually going to have to do it. It was one of those things that had gone on the 'don't need to worry about, won't be here anyway' list. Kurt shrugged. Being alive, being Blaine's boyfriend, Finn's brother, Burt Hummel's son…all those things had come to mean so much more to him in the previous few days.

"How could I have ever even considered that?" Kurt shook his head, almost feeling like he was thinking about someone other than himself. He finished the verb conjugation for French, wondering idly if he would continue his language studies in college.

"Kurt?" Blaine called, peeking his head out the door. "I'm ready in here."

Kurt put aside the books. "I'll be right there," he said. He walked over to his closet and stripped off his clothing, hanging up the pants and shirt. He wrapped a thick terry robe around himself and entered the bathroom.

There were candles on almost every possible surface. Blaine had placed one of Kurt's thick, black towels on the floor, creating an even plusher mat than normal. "Well?" Blaine asked.

"Perfect," Kurt smiled. "Can we, that is…can I get in while you…"

"Of course," Blaine said. He reached for Kurt's hand, leading him over to the shower. Standing behind Kurt, Blaine pulled back the curtain, then eased the robe off of Kurt's shoulders, hanging it on a convenient hook far from any candles. Kurt stepped into the steaming water, giving a wordless purr of delight.

Blaine quickly shucked his own clothing, and stepped into the shower, making sure to stay as far away from Kurt as possible. He would give the other boy a chance to become accustomed to the idea before they touched.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked. "Can I…would you mind if I turned around to face you?" His voice was timid, unsure.

"I would love that," Blaine said, keeping his tone soft and light.

Slowly, Kurt turned around. Blaine drank in the sight of him, already half-hard. With a smile, Blaine realized that Kurt was looking him up and down as well. "Wow," Kurt whispered.

"What?" Blaine smiled.

"You…that…you're…"

"I'm no bigger than you are," Blaine said. "Which is kind of nice, really. Because I'd hate for either of us to get a size complex."

Kurt smiled. "You're just teasing me now," he said.

"Guilty as charged. But, um, Kurt, you're kinda blocking the water, and it's getting damned cold over here. I'm going to get really embarrassed if shrivelling starts happening on this end."

"Oh!" Kurt exclaimed. "Sorry!" He backed up, so that he was flush against the tile wall, the cascading stream of the shower between them. "Go ahead," he said.

Blaine took a slow, tentative step forward. And then another. He reached out and took Kurt's hands in his. "Not so bad?" he asked.

Kurt shook his head, a tiny smile on his face. "Nice, actually," he said. "Get your hair wet. I want to wash it." He reached for the shampoo. Giving himself something to do, something to think about besides the unpleasant thoughts that kept crowding his mind, he began to relax.

Blaine was in heaven. His back was to Kurt, and Kurt's hands were working the suds through his hair, giving him an expert scalp massage. The shorter boy steadied himself with both hands on the tile wall of the shower, trying to keep his involuntary moans of delight inside his head.

Then Kurt glided his hands down Blaine's shoulders and back, impulsively ghosting over the firm globes of Blaine's ass before pulling away with a squeak. "Sorry!" he exclaimed. "Um, let's get your hair rinsed."

Blaine smiled, and allowed Kurt to direct the shower stream to rinse his hair. Once all the suds were out, Blaine smiled up at him. "Thank you," he said, turning to face Kurt.

"You're welcome." Kurt leaned in for a kiss, and realized instantly what a mistake that was. Their bodies came into full contact, and both gasped. "Sorry!" Kurt exclaimed again.

"Shhh, it's okay," Blaine said. "There's nothing wrong with this, Kurt. Just be here with me. No pressure."

"Too much pressure," Kurt joked weakly, gesturing down between them. Both of them were hard. "I want…Blaine…" the name came out in a bit of a whine. "I don't get it."

"You don't get what?" Blaine asked.

"I want you. I've wanted you all along. But I'm so scared. I was scared before this happened, and now I'm terrified." Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry. This is so unfair to you."

"Get cleaned up. I'll get out and wait for you in the bedroom," Blaine said. "We have to get you taken care of again anyway." He offered an encouraging smile. "This isn't unfair to me, and we'll get through it."

"You're not mad at me?"

"I couldn't be mad at you," Blaine said. "Not for this. I love you."

"I love you."

Blaine washed himself quickly, unabashedly giving his cock a single long stroke, mostly to clean it. Kurt squeaked, and Blaine laughed, not unkindly. "Natural, Kurt. It's natural."

"I know," Kurt said, nibbling on his lower lip. It was hot, not that he was ready to admit that out loud. "Okay, you can go now, I'll get cleaned up, and I'll be in in a minute."

Blaine nodded. He leaned in from the side and kissed Kurt's shoulder. "I'll see you in a minute," he accepted. He stepped out, wrapping a towel around himself. "Do you want the light on, or just the candles?"

"The light, please," Kurt said. He'd found it kind of weird to shower in the near dark.

Blaine smiled to himself. That was perfect. The light blue shower curtain would keep Kurt from knowing exactly what he was doing. He turned on the light, and then carried the candles into the bedroom, setting them up on flame-resistant surfaces throughout the bedroom.

He was nearly finished creating his romantic atmosphere when there was a tentative knock at the bedroom door. "Kurt?" a timid, feminine voice asked.

"Rachel?" Blaine asked, surprised. He walked over to stand near the door. "What do you need?" he asked in a whisper. If Kurt knew Rachel was bothering them, there'd likely be hell to pay.

"This is so embarrassing. I wanted to ask Kurt…"

"Kurt's relaxing in the shower," Blaine said. "So you'll have to settle for me."

"Do you guys, um, do you guys have any condoms we could borrow?" Rachel asked.

"Unbelievable," Blaine chuckled softly. "Kurt's probably going to kill me for this." He walked over to the suitcases stacked against one wall, found the shaving kit, and pulled out the box. "Do not tell Kurt you took these. And please, just take them. I don't want them back when you're done borrowing them. I don't want to know how many you've used. I don't want to know if they're too big, too small, or just right. And close your eyes, Rachel, I'm only wearing a towel right now."

"Okay, eyes closed," Rachel chirped. She held out her hand, eyes flying open in surprise when she felt the box land in her hand. She'd obviously been expecting one or two, not the whole box. "Oops, sorry! Oh, wow. Do you know you're hot? I mean, seriously, why do you have to be gay?"

"Rachel!" Blaine exclaimed. "You're taking my only box of condoms, which Kurt and I don't need because we aren't having sex, and you're taking them so you can go have sex with Finn. Please do not talk about my appearance under these conditions. Just take them, go, and never, ever tell me how long it took you to go through the dozen. Kurt doesn't even know I have them, so not a single word. Ever." He shuddered. "Now go."

"Thanks!" Rachel leaned in as if she were going to kiss Blaine's cheek, but then thought better, and skipped off to Finn's bedroom.

"So Finn and Rachel can't plan ahead, and my boyfriend had condoms he didn't tell me about."

Blaine spun around to find Kurt leaning against the bathroom door. "Sorry, baby," he said. "I've had them a long time. Since before…since just after the first time things got a little too hot and heavy between us."

"My boyfriend, the boy scout," Kurt smiled. "I'm not upset. But we'll have to buy more now to have them on hand. So that when we do decide to take that step, we aren't cock-blocked by ourselves."

"I can put it on Carole's shopping list," Blaine teased. "Make sure she gets enough for Finn, too."

"Okay, okay, enough about my brother's sex life. I'm hurting, and only you can make it better. Wow. Did that sound as corny to you as it did to me?"

Blaine shook his head. "Uh-uh. But, while I don't like you in pain, I do like the sound of that." He turned the lock on the door knob and walked over to the bed. "Come join me?"

Kurt walked over. "Nice job with the candles," he said as he took off the towel and laid down on the bed.

Blaine laid down next to Kurt, keeping his own towel wrapped around his waist. "Let's get you taken care of." He suited action to words, quickly attending to Kurt's injuries with the taller boy wrapped in his arms, facing him much as he had that morning.

"Thank you," Kurt said. "That gets easier every time."

"I'm glad." Blaine smiled. "How are you feeling now?"

"Look at me," Kurt said, gesturing down his body. "How do you think I'm feeling?"

"I think you need a little relief. Lie back and relax, sweetheart." Blaine reached for the bottle of lubricant he'd set on the bedside table. "Now that I have my things, I'm a little more prepared," he explained.

"Just do it," Kurt said, looking down at his throbbing, weeping cock. "Make me forget. Please, Blaine…"

"You don't have to beg," Blaine murmured. He wrapped a lube-coated hand around his boyfriend's cock, and began to stroke slowly, from base to tip.

Kurt clutched the sheets, gasping for air. "Oh, God," he moaned. "Blaine…yes…make me forget."

Blaine kept a tight hold on his self-control, dragging out the pleasure for Kurt until his boyfriend was little more than a squirming puddle on the bed.

"Ung…Blaine…oh God…Blaine…" his breathing hitched, his eyes squeezed shut, and his entire body went momentarily rigid as he came.

Blaine, for his part, watched unabashedly as his boyfriend fell apart before his eyes. He gathered the still quaking teen into his arms, trailing little kisses along his neck and shoulder. Then, as Kurt was coming back to himself, Blaine bathed him with a conveniently nearby wet cloth.

"Ooh, cold!" Kurt squeaked, ineffectively swatting at Blaine's hand.

"Sorry, babe," Blaine smiled. "It's been sitting there a little while." He pulled Kurt flush against him, the towel doing nothing to hide his own arousal as it pressed insistently into Kurt's thigh.

"Can you, that is…" Kurt took a deep breath, and finally gave in to a previously unvoiced desire. "Can I watch?"

"Can you watch…oh!" Blaine exclaimed. "You want me to…okay, yeah, I can do that." He rolled onto his back, tugging the towel away. "If you're absolutely sure you're okay with this."

"I am." Kurt scanned his body. "You are beautiful," he said. "I don't understand what someone like you could possibly see in me."

Blaine merely smiled. "I love you," he said. He let his eyes fall closed, reaching for the bottle of lube.

Kurt watched in fascination as Blaine wrapped his hand around himself and stroked, moaning softly as the pleasure coursed through him. It took only a matter of minutes before Blaine gave a strangled shout, coming all over his hand and stomach. Kurt took the discarded towel from Blaine's shower and tentatively, carefully, wiped his boyfriend clean.

"You missed a spot," Blaine teased, gesturing to the drop of come clinging to the tip of his cock.

Without thinking, Kurt reached out and swiped it away with his finger, the first time his hand had touched that part of Blaine. He brought his thumb to his lips and sucked it away, surprised at the slightly bitter, and yet, alluring, taste. "Sorry, was that gross?" Kurt asked, taking in the astonished look on Blaine's face.

"No," Blaine breathed, slowly shaking his head back and forth. "Not at all. It was hot." He made to pull Kurt back into his arms.

"Oh. Um, Blaine, it's really late. We have to be up early for school. We'd better get that homework done. Cause Dad and Carole won't let us continue sharing a room if we start failing classes."

"Alright, alright," Blaine sighed. He stood and walked across the room, finding briefs and pajama pants in one of his drawers. Kurt wrapped a towel back around his waist and got his own pajamas. "No need to be modest," Blaine smiled. "I've already seen all you've got."

Kurt smiled sheepishly and let the towel fall. "I'm not used to this," he said. He kept his back to Blaine as he dressed quickly. "Set the alarm, so we don't over sleep in the morning, and we'll get our homework finished."

Blaine set the alarm and pulled out his homework. "Let's do this quickly," he said. "I don't want to be up all night."

"You don't want to be up all night," Kurt muttered, shaking his head. "I'm afraid to sleep. I'm going to be picturing Finn and Rachel using your condoms. Which…what if they're the wrong size…oh God, now I'm wondering…Blaine!"

"I'm sorry, baby," Blaine soothed. "C'mon, love, homework, and then sleep. In each others' arms. Where it's beautiful, and safe, and the only thoughts are of us."

"You are so corny," Kurt laughed. They raced through the homework. Kurt helped Blaine with an English assignment he'd done the year before, and practically did Blaine's French homework for him. Finally, they put the books away, and curled up around one another, Kurt's head pillowed comfortably on Blaine's chest. "I love you," Kurt breathed, pressing a kiss to the center of Blaine's bare chest.

"I love you, too," Blaine responded.

But Kurt couldn't really sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, the neon sign from the gas station filled his thoughts. He tried to keep it from Blaine but in the wee hours of the morning, after the third consecutive nightmare, his crying woke up his boyfriend.

"Baby?" Blaine asked. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Kurt exclaimed, the floodgates loosed at Blaine's innocent question. "I'm not okay! Why did you have to stop there?" He pulled away from Blaine. "Why, Blaine?" He sat up in the bed, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I can't stop reliving the fucking rape! And it's all because you had to stop at that fucking gas station!"

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine whispered, dismayed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was that gas station until we were stopped, and the tank was on empty…I didn't think it was such a big deal."

"You didn't think?" Kurt asked. "You didn't think it was such a big deal? Didn't think it might be the least bit difficult for me to even be anywhere near the 'scene of the crime'? Gee, Blaine, what did you think would happen? That I'd look at the gas station and go 'Oh, hey! This is my new favorite place! Maybe we should have a picnic lunch at the truck stop one of these days?' Is that what you thought?"

"No! Kurt, baby, come on. I didn't know." Blaine turned on the bedside lamp, casting light across the bedroom.

"And when you did, you just kept going. Instead of locking the doors and driving away. You made me sit there, scanning the parking lot for that truck, for that man, who could be ready to take another victim at any moment! What if he was fucking someone while we were there?"

"You are not a victim," Blaine said, taking Kurt's face in his hands. "Look at me." When Kurt finally lifted his eyes to look into Blaine's, the shorter boy continued. "You are not a victim. You're a survivor. Through and through. A victim wouldn't be able to handle this," he gestured between the two of them. "A victim wouldn't be able to talk about what happened yet. No, Kurt, you're not a victim. You survived this. And tonight, at that gas station, I was so proud of you. So very, very proud of you."

Kurt was shaking, and he finally collapsed into Blaine's arms. "This sucks," he sniffled. "He's ruining my life."

"No, he's not. He did something horrible to you, Kurt. Something you're never going to forget. But you can't stop living because of it. You are stronger than that. Do you remember the first text message I sent you?"

"Of course." Kurt reached for the cell phone lying on the bedside table. "I still have it saved." He scrolled through, bringing up the single word. _Courage_.

"And you have enough of it for both of us, and then some. Kurt, I'm sorry we didn't go somewhere else, but really, we would have run out of gas, and I know you wouldn't do that to your poor car."

Kurt sighed. "How do you always know the logical thing to say? Even if I don't want to be logical?"

"It's a gift," Blaine said. "Please, can we try to sleep now? We have to be up in a few hours for school, and Carole isn't about to let us stay home."

"I don't want to stay home," Kurt said. "It's Regionals this week. It's going to be a tough week, but so, so worth it when we know we're going to Nationals. Together this time."

"Together," Blaine echoed. He drew Kurt down into the bed with him, pulling the blankets up to cover them both. "Goodnight."

This time, when Kurt said goodnight, he knew he'd be able to sleep.

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><p><strong>PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! But don't criticize me for the smut. As I've told some of my readers, there's a real and intentioned reason I'm having Kurt react this way. Thanks. I love you all. <strong>**:)**


	15. School

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, in part or in whole. If I did, I'd rename it the Klaine show. And we all know what every episode would be.**

**Note: Please please please don't jump down my throat for how Emma handles things in this chapter. When I was in high school and having suicidal ideation, simply telling my guidance counselor that I didn't feel that way anymore (which was bull, but whatever) was enough to get her off my back. They called my parents, who laughed it off because I'm just that good an actress, but that was about it. So the way Emma handles this, while being crappy, is exactly the way most high schools would. And William McKinley has a worse track record than most high schools for dealing with this stuff. They are very reactionary, instead of proactive. Schools just don't have the resources to do any better. It sucks, but it's real. So please, keep that in mind.**

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><p>The next morning, Carole made breakfast for the teens after arriving home from work. "Finn," she said once all three boys were seated at the table. "Next time you want to have Rachel stay the night, talk it over with us," she said, looking her son in the eye. "Just because Kurt and Blaine are sharing a room, it doesn't mean you can just break the rules without reason, without asking."<p>

"Mom, it's not fair," Finn said around a mouthful of toast. "They're having sex! Which is just gross! Uh, cause you're my brother, and you're my friend," he said to each boy in turn. "Not cause you're both dudes. Because I'm okay with that. Seriously."

"We are not having sex," Kurt said quietly. "It's been just over a week since I was raped, Finn. Raped. I know you can't actually comprehend what it's like to have someone hold you down and…" he stopped, chewing on his lower lip. "You know what? Forget it." He stood, pushing away his plate.

"Kurt, wait," Blaine said. "You need to eat. Finn is just being Finn. C'mon, sit back down."

"I've lost my appetite," Kurt said. "We have to leave for school in fifteen minutes. I'm going to go brush my teeth." He spun on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Blaine sighed, but continued eating his breakfast. "I'll take a few granola bars to school for him," he said to Carole. "And Finn, just because you and your girlfriend are having sex and couldn't be responsible enough to buy your own condoms doesn't mean everyone around you is rutting like a bitch in heat. Excuse my language, please, Carole."

"Finn, you don't have condoms?" Carole asked.

"He does now," Blaine explained. "I gave them the box I'd bought a few months ago, to be prepared." He sighed. "Kurt's gonna be mad when he finds out about this conversation."

"Don't worry, Blaine. There's nothing for him to be upset about. Okay, Finn? This is part of the reason why Blaine and Kurt share a room, and why I'm not comfortable with you having a girl stay the night. They consistently act more responsibly. And you and Rachel break up regularly."

"We haven't broken up since before last June! That's like…eight months!" Finn exclaimed. "Or nine! Kurt and Blaine broke up last week!"

Carole sighed, and offered an understanding smile. "You're right on that. Finn, the point is, Kurt came to us and asked if Blaine could stay the night. Blaine came to us and asked if he could possibly stay with us short-term while he worked it all out. We invited him to stay with us. I know you normally live by the thought that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission, but, Finn, honey, I just want what's best for you. Blaine, sweetheart?" She looked toward the door meaningfully.

"I'm going," Blaine said. He stood and carried his plate to the kitchen. "Have a good day, Carole! We'll see you after school." He almost ran out of the room and up to the bedroom.

"Finn, honey, you thought you actually got Quinn pregnant in a hot tub," Carole said gently. "You know now that isn't possible, right?"

"I always wondered," Finn said defensively. "But no. Now I know how it happens. Miss Holiday explained it. And me and Rachel are being careful. I promise. Look. I had condoms last night. I just told Rachel we were out because I was tired." He flushed. "So she got it into her head that she'd ask Kurt. And please don't get me started on how embarrassing that was."

Carole frowned. "Your girlfriend is pressuring you to have sex?"

"It's not like that, Mom. She's just…persistent. I didn't tell her I didn't really want to…I can't have this conversation with my mother. I just can't."

"Yes, you can," Carole said.

"I love her. And I, um, I do enjoy sex, it's just…" Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "I…I didn't tell her the truth because I thought it'd be easier just to tell her we needed to go shopping, okay? It's no big deal, I was just tired. And we're really careful," he said again. "I mean, she's on the pill, and we're using condoms. Honestly, mom. She's going to be on Broadway. She doesn't want a baby right now, and either do I."

Carole nodded. "That's good to hear. Well, I personally find it difficult to deny you what we're giving to Kurt and Blaine. I'll talk to Burt, but I'm certain we can work something out. That is, of course, as long as Rachel's dads are okay with her staying the night. No lying. Sneaking around isn't just disrespectful to me, and to Burt, it's disrespectful to Rachel and her dads as well."

Finn looked down at his plate. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just…"

"Oh, honey. I know it's hard to understand. Believe me, Burt and I aren't having any easier a time dealing with all of this than you are. But sneaking around behind our backs isn't exactly the adult way to handle it. All I've ever asked if that you be honest with me. Okay?"

"I'm really sorry, Mom."

"So am I. I should have made sure to explain this to you better. It's been a tough couple of days for this family, sweetie. But we'll get through it. And that's why I'm not grounding you. Because we do need to get through this together." She patted his hand. "Finish up your breakfast. I'm certain that Blaine is driving Kurt today, so you'll probably have to drive yourself."

Finn nodded. "Probably," he said. "They'll want to go to the Lima Bean after school, unless Glee club runs late. How can people just sit around a coffee shop for hours?"

Carole laughed. "I don't know," she agreed. "So. You'll talk to Rachel, I'll talk to Burt. But no more lying. And no pregnancy scares, alright? One is enough for your old mom."

"Yeah…I'm sorry, Mom. I never meant for you to think I was irresponsible. Cause I'm not. And I love Rachel. In fact, I kinda think I might want to be with her for a really long time. Like forever."

"Well," Carole covered her shock. "That's a big step. But if it's what you truly want, and she does, too, then I think that's good. In a few years, of course. After college. When you both have careers. Not before."

Finn nodded. "I get what you're saying," he said. "I gotta go. I'm gonna be late to school." He gulped down his milk and got up, racing away from the table.

Carole stood at the front door, giving each of 'her boys' a hug and a kiss before they left for school. "Be strong," she whispered to Kurt, hugging him tightly. "If you need me to come take you out of school, if it's too much, just call me."

Kurt smiled slightly. "I made it through last week," he said. "I'll make it through today. But thank you, Carole. Your support does mean a lot to me."

"I'm glad, honey. If you need anything at all, just call or text me. I can be at your school in fifteen minutes."

"I know. Thank you." He hugged her one more time. "Blaine's waiting. I gotta go." He shouldered his messenger bag, grabbed Blaine's favorite guitar in his free hand, and strode down the front walk, sliding into the passenger seat.

"You ready for this?" Blaine asked.

"Not at all," Kurt shook his head. "Why was this easier last week?"

"Because you didn't think you had to face it. And you know you have to talk to Ms. Pillsbury at some point today."

"Ugh. I forgot. Yeah. I have to talk to Ms. Pillsbury. And she's going to tell Mr. Schue, and I'm probably going to have to stand up and sing about it."

"Only if you want to," Blaine said. "I notice you brought my guitar."

"Thought we might need it." Kurt smiled. "And, we should find out the final set-list for Regionals today," he said. "Are you excited?"

Blaine shook his head. "It's going to be the Finn and Rachel show, more than likely. I'm still not used to not being the lead anymore, to be completely honest."

"You're an amazing singer, Blaine. And I'm sure that next year, it'll be all about you." In a way it had never been all about him.

"Maybe," Blaine allowed. "Did you want me to go with you when you have to see Ms. Pillsbury today?"

"Please?" Kurt asked, allowing the change of subject. "If whatever teacher you have that hour will let you."

"I'll make something up if I have to," Blaine said. "It's going to be alright."

Kurt took a deep breath. "I want to sing with you today in Glee. The song you sang to me Friday. _Your Guardian Angel_."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I have my guitar," Blaine said with a wry smile, flicking to the song on his iPod. "Let's run through it a few times." He drove them to the coffee shop, where they got their morning fix of caffeine. On the way to school, they ran through the song twice more, until they were reasonably sure they could handle performing.

They arrived at school with only a few minutes before the first bell. Blaine put his guitar in the choir room and walked Kurt to his first class, parting from him with a quick squeeze of hands.

Near the end of his first class, Kurt looked up when the door to the classroom opened. Ms. Pillsbury walked in, looked around, and walked up to the teacher. A moment of whispering followed. "Kurt, Ms. Pillsbury needs to take you from class," the teacher said with a kind smile. "Here's your homework assignment. It's due on Wednesday."

"Thank you," Kurt said. He gathered his things and followed Emma from the room. "I need Blaine," he said.

"You do?" Emma asked, surprised. "But your father's email stated that I needed to speak to you, Blaine and Finn separately."

"I'm not talking to you unless Blaine is there."

"I see. I wasn't expecting that. Well. Do you know what class he's in this period?"

Kurt nodded. "He has English right now." He led the way down the hall. Emma walked into the indicated room, retrieving Blaine.

It was during class, so Blaine and Kurt walked with Ms. Pillsbury to her office, hands tightly entwined. "I must say," Emma said as she gestured for them to sit down, "I wasn't expecting you, Blaine. Congressman Hummel said I needed to speak to each of you, but didn't mention anything about together."

"It's still strange to hear people call him that," Kurt said. "At any rate, Blaine agreed to come with me. This is a difficult subject for me to talk about."

"Well!" Emma exclaimed. "Go ahead. I'll do my best," she said. She hoped this wasn't going to turn into an uncomfortable conversation on intimate relations.

Five minutes later, she wished the boys had come to her to talk about something as simple as sex between two men. Instead, she was faced with a teenager suffering from suicidal ideation.

"Kurt, I must say, this is far beyond what I normally have to deal with from your peers. I really think you should see a professional. I can recommend a wonderful woman." She pulled a card out of her desk drawer.

"I don't want to see anyone else," Kurt said firmly. "I promised my dad, Carole, and Blaine that I would tell you that I'd been having suicidal thoughts. Not that I don't think they were fully justified."

"Kurt, I've seen you go through so much in the past four years," Emma said. "Bullying, death threats, more slushies than anyone should ever have to deal with, bruises, being thrown into dumpsters and porta-potties. What could possibly have pushed a strong young man like you over the edge?"

Kurt swallowed. Blaine squeezed his hand. "Go ahead," Blaine murmured. "I'm here."

"Rape," Kurt said simply. "A little over a week ago. A stranger." He gave a quick, sanitized version of the events of the previous ten days. "I can take slushies. I can take body checks into every locker in this school. I even handled being kissed by Karofsky. But when that man touched me, attacked me, when he did what he did to me, I didn't want to live any longer."

"Did you call the police?" Emma managed.

"I went to the clinic on Saturday, they called the police. But it had been a week. So there wasn't any physical evidence. But they still think they might catch the guy. We'll see. But my real worry now is, since you pulled me out of class in front of everyone, well, Ms. Pillsbury, I don't want this to get out to the whole school."

"Of course not!" Emma exclaimed. "I'm would never share anything told to me in confidence. With anyone. Including Mr. Schue."

Kurt took a deep breath. "Well, actually, I think I'd like it if you told him," he said. "He's probably wondering why his biggest star has been out of sorts this past week." That statement brought smiles to all three faces. "I know you two live together, and this won't be easy for you to keep."

"If that's what you want, I'll tell him. We planned to have lunch off campus today, just the two of us. I'll tell him then."

"Thank you, Ms. Pillsbury," Kurt said. "I appreciate it."

"Now, is there anything else either of you boys needs to talk about?"

"Now that you mention it," Blaine said. He smiled at Kurt. "Time to change my address with the administration," he said. "My father kicked me out on Saturday. Kurt's family took me in. His parents are letting me live there until I graduate next year."

"How are you handling that?" Emma asked.

"Better than I thought," Blaine said. "But I do need someone to talk to about this. Can I make an appointment for a little later this week?"

"Of course. I'll schedule you in during your study hall later this week, or perhaps the beginning of the next week, after Regionals?"

"After Regionals would be great," Blaine confirmed. Emma wrote neatly on a card and handed it to him. Smiling, Blaine pocketed the thin piece of cardboard. "Thanks."

Emma looked back at Kurt. "I want you to promise me something," she said. "If you have the slightest thought of harming yourself in any way whatsoever, you will come to me. I don't like the idea of you refusing professional help, but if that's really how you feel, I'm not going to force you."

"I promise," Kurt said. "Can we go back to class now?"

"You can, but, Kurt, will you at least take my colleague's number? In case you change your mind?"

Kurt nodded. "I appreciate it," he said, knowing it was better to take the card without arguing.

"Kurt, one more question, and I'll leave you two to get back to class," Emma said. "What does Finn know about all this?"

"He knows I was raped. He knows Blaine is living with us. He doesn't know why. And I don't think he knows about the suicidal thoughts," Kurt said. "He thinks Blaine is living with us because the commute is just too far."

Emma nodded. "Alright, boys, let me write you hall passes, and you can go to your next class."

Blaine and Kurt walked to their next classes, silent but not uncomfortably so. They parted with a smile, Blaine leaning in and kissing Kurt gently in the empty hall. "I'll see you at lunch," he said.

"Lunch," Kurt agreed. He slipped into the classroom, handing his hall pass to the teacher.

"Will? Emma asked, sliding into the passenger seat of his car. "We need to talk about something really serious, and we have to do it before Glee Club today."

"What's wrong, Em?" Will asked.

"I had a very emotional appointment with a member of the Glee Club today, well, two members, and they gave me the okay to talk to you about it. In fact, they asked that I tell you."

"What is it?" Will asked, driving to the park they'd planned to have lunch in. "Does this have anything to do with Kurt and Blaine not speaking to one another last week?"

"Will, honey, Kurt was…" Emma bit her lower lip. "A little over a week ago, Kurt was raped."

Will looked shocked. Tears were streaming down Emma's face. "That's horrific," he said quietly. "Please…Em, tell me it wasn't one of the other kids."

"No," Emma sniffled. "It was a stranger. He has no idea who. Kurt wanted me to tell you, and I quote, why your biggest star has been out of sorts for the past week."

"He would say that," Will said. "Dammit! Hasn't that kid been through enough?"

"I quite agree," Emma said. "But, Will, he doesn't want the other Glee kids to know. I mean, Blaine knows, he was there when Kurt was telling me, and Finn knows, I have to talk to him later today, but we have to keep this from the other kids until Kurt makes the decision to talk to them. So, don't treat him any differently, but be there for him? The next few weeks are going to be emotionally and physically so difficult for him."

"Is he okay?" Will asked. "I mean, I'm sure he's a mess, but do you think he'll be alright?"

"Will, he was going to kill himself," Emma said flatly. "After Regionals on Saturday. He was going to commit suicide. Blaine's snapped him out of it, apparently, and he swears he isn't going to do anything, that he doesn't feel that way anymore, but Will….do me a favor?"

"Of course. What can I do to help?" Will asked.

"You spend more time with him, with them all, than any other teacher at that school. If you notice anything else out of the ordinary, anything at all, let me know right away? If you think he's having any sort of trouble at all, send him to me?"

"Emma, you're a guidance counselor," Will said. "Are you sure you're equipped to handle suicidal teens?"

"I'm all he has, Will," Emma said. "He took Gabrielle's card, but he doesn't want to talk to her or anyone else. And I agree with Blaine, I don't think he's actually going to do anything, at least, not right now. But I want you to keep an eye on him anyway."

"Of course. Do you think I should call Burt and talk to him about all this? Does he know what's going on?"

"Burt is the one who asked me to talk to all three boys," Emma said. "He's in Washington this week, but I'm sure he has his cell and would welcome a phone call from you. Oh, and there's one more thing. Blaine's dad kicked him out over the weekend. Blaine is now living with the Hummel-Hudson family. I'm going to talk to him more about that next week after Regionals."

"Wow. A lot of shake-ups right before Regionals."

"It wouldn't be a New Directions competition if there weren't all sorts of angst and trouble," Emma said. "But focus on the songs, not on the kids. If you take their minds off their troubles, they should be able to get through it all."

"I'm calling a late Booty Camp tonight," Will said. "Are you alright taking the car home yourself?"

"Of course," Emma smiled. "But remember, this isn't some little thing. The boys are going to need your support."

"I know, Em, I'll do my best," Will squeezed her hand. "We only have about five minutes to eat now…"

Emma smiled. "I'll just eat at my desk," she said. "But you should eat quickly, and I can drive us back to school if you need time to finish."

"I'll be fine," Will said. They nibbled their sandwiches, and then in only moments, he turned the car around and headed back to McKinley.

* * *

><p>Carole Hummel-Hudson was a woman on a mission. The moment the boys left the house, she walked into the laundry room, hoping and praying that in his lethargy of the previous week, Kurt hadn't bothered finding out what had happened to his clothing from that fateful night.<p>

Sure enough, the blood-stained undergarment was still where she'd left it, and Carole breathed a sigh of relief. She placed it into a plastic bag, and called the number on the business card Kurt had handed to Burt on Saturday evening.

"Officer Hannigan, my name is Carole Hummel-Hudson," Carole said once she'd been connected to the officer at the Lima Police Department. "My step-son, Kurt Hummel, spoke to you about a sexual assault on Saturday?"

"Of course! What can I do for you, Mrs. Hummel?"

"I should have thought of this sooner, but I just this morning realized I have Kurt's clothing from the night of the attack. Specifically a blood-stained undergarment. It hasn't been laundered, I was going to treat the stains, and then forgot."

"Your forgetfulness may be our gain," Officer Hannigan said. "I'll send a car over to pick up the clothing as soon as I can. We're going to catch this guy, and every little bit of evidence we can glean will make it easier."

"Good. I'm at our home, 415 Whitman Avenue. I had to touch it, of course, because I thought I was just doing laundry, but…"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Hummel. What we're looking for is quite a bit different than fingerprint oils. I'm going to let you go, but someone will be there soon."

"Thank you, Officer."

* * *

><p>"So I know we weren't going to have a lesson this week," Mr. Schuester said at Tuesday glee club rehearsal. "But something has come to my attention. And I know we've done it before, but really, it bears to be stated again. In addition to our rehearsals for regionals, this week, we're going to work on self-acceptance."<p>

"Mr. Schue, really?" Rachel asked. "Wasn't Born This Way and those t-shirts enough?"

"We have a few members who weren't in glee at the time. So I'm going to try to teach this lesson without song, and then you guys can work on the musical side. Understood?"

The teens nodded and sat back, waiting for whatever Will had to say to them.. Blaine and Kurt held hands, nearly inseparable.

Will Schuester pulled a crisp ten dollar bill out of his pocket. "Who would like this ten dollar bill?"

The glee kids exchanged glances, and then, as a unit, every hand in the room went up. Except Sugar's. "I don't put out an effort for less than a hundred," the spoiled rich girl said.

Will continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I am going to give this ten to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the ten dollar bill. Then he asked, "Who still wants it?" All the hands were still up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Is there anyone who still wants it?" Not one of the kids had put his or her hand down. "Alright!" he exclaimed. "There's the lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth ten dollars. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by who we are. You are special. Don't ever forget it."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand as slowly all the raised arms were lowered. "You think Ms. Pillsbury told him?" he whispered in Kurt's ear.

Kurt nodded. "She said she would. She also said they wouldn't be bringing it up in front of other students."

"So, Mr. Schue, who gets the ten?" Puck asked, eyeing the crumpled bill in Will's hand.

Will's eyes met Kurt's, and the boy nodded, resigned. As he'd discussed with Finn, and now, knowing the case would likely be tried in court if the man were found, he knew everyone would find out.

"Kurt does," Will said simply, walking over and handing it to the teen. "Don't spend it all in one place."

Kurt smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Schue," he said quietly.

"Kurt, is there anything you wanted to say?" he prompted quietly.

"No, but they're going to hear rumors, so I need to," Kurt offered a slight smile as he took a deep breath.

"Courage," Blaine whispered as Kurt stood up. The taller teen walked slowly into the center of the room.

"Normally, I would have had a song prepared for something like this, but there's no way to sing about something…so horrific," Kurt said. "Just over a week ago, driving home from Blaine's house, I was…attacked. It was a…a hate crime," he said. "Which is why I was…a little out of it last week."

"Oh, hell to the no!" Mercedes exclaimed, standing up. "You are not serious. I thought we were through with all this crap!"

"Who was it?" Rachel asked. "Who had the audacity to do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Kurt said, holding his head high. "It wasn't anyone we know. And that's all I'm willing to say until he's caught and brought to justice. I dealt with it alone from Saturday night until last Friday, when, thanks to Rachel, Blaine confronted me and walked me through everything." He smiled at the brunette diva.

"Why thank you, Kurt," Rachel said with a smile. "And may I just say…"

"No!" everyone chorused together.

"Well!" Rachel said down in a huff.

Mr. Schuester smiled at Kurt. "At least you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

"I will be," Kurt said. He retook his seat. "At any rate, Regionals is this weekend, let's get to it!"

"And we have a lot of work to do. Booty camp, this afternoon, until six p.m." Will looked at Blaine. "You are able to stay that late now, right?"

Blaine nodded. "I'm staying in town now, so no worries about the long drive home."

"You're staying in town, man?" Puck asked. "You serious?"

"Yeah," Blaine said nonchalantly. "Parents decided the commute was too long and I needed to find somewhere closer to Lima to live. So I'm here for duration. And Kurt asked me to sing with him today, so Mr. Schue, can we have a few minutes before you finally reveal our set-list?" He still couldn't believe he was in a show choir that got its set-list five days before the performance.

"Absolutely. The floor is yours."

Blaine picked up his guitar, checked a few chords automatically for tuning, and smiled at Kurt. _I love you_ he mouthed. Kurt nodded, and Blaine began the intro.

With an ease borne of being best friends, practically able to read one another's minds, regardless of Blaine's protests to the contrary, they slipped into the song, trading off the verses and coming together with beautiful harmonies. It wasn't perfect, but it was close.

Two minutes in, Finn wordlessly got up and walked over to the drums, taking a seat on the stool. Blaine nodded to him, and he came in at the appropriate time, keeping rhythm through the rest of the song for the boys.

Breathless and smiling, Kurt did his customary little half-bow/half curtsey. "I'll be there for you through it all," Blaine whispered, before putting his guitar back into its case. He squeezed Kurt's hand as they took their seats.

"Wow, guys, that was…powerful," Will said. "I'd almost want to use it for Regionals…"

"But the stigma of two boys singing about true love won't send us to Nationals," Kurt said. "It's okay, Mr. Schue. Why don't you tell us which songs we'll be providing background vocals for, so we can get started on the choreography?"

Will Schuester blinked twice. "Well!" he exclaimed. "Actually, Kurt, I was going to tell you that while _Your Guardian Angel_ is a little more risk-taking than I'm willing to allow, _Defying Gravity _isn't."

"What?" Rachel exclaimed. "Mr. Schue, you can't be serious!"

"Be quiet, Rachel. Kurt, go to the piano. Brad's out sick today, so you'll need to do your own chromatic warm-up. I want to hear that high F. Your dad told me what happened two years ago." Will gestured to the piano.

Blaine raised an eyebrow, but Kurt shook his head. "Knew those piano lessons would come in handy again sometime," Kurt joked. He walked over to the piano and began playing the chromatic scale just as he had two years previously, when he'd fought for hours to bend his voice to his will, to coax that high note out of himself.

And this time, unlike in the purposefully botched diva-off, he hit the note. Eyebrows raised throughout the room, all except Will, Blaine, who wore a look of pure pride and adoration, and Rachel, who was obviously steaming mad.

"Very nice," Will said. "Rachel?"

"What?" the diva snapped.

Will held out a sheaf of papers. "Your verses," he said simply. "I've arranged it as a duet. You and Kurt will be sharing the spotlight. Literally."

Rachel's eyes went wide as she snatched the pages from Mr. Schuester's hands. She read them over, murmuring under her breath. "Alright," she said. "This is acceptable."

Kurt took the offered pages and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Schue. Rach? Shall we?"

"We don't have a piano player," Rachel protested.

Blaine stood. "I'll take it," he said. "Mr. Schue? Give me two minutes, and we'll have it."

Will handed over the sheet music for the piano. Blaine sat down, tracing fingers over the keys as he read through the music.

"Alright," Blaine said. "Let's go." He led in with the piano beginning, and by the end of the first chorus, he'd found his stride and the three of them, accompanied by the jazz band and strings, put on a beautiful performance.

"Oh my God!" Rachel squealed, wrapping her arms around Kurt. "That was incredible!"

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I give the jazz band and strings the music two weeks before I reveal the set-list," Will smirked. "You three were fantastic. Blaine, I had no idea you had that kind of talent."

"I've been playing the piano since I was tall enough to see the music from the bench," he said. "Would you, I mean, is it possible to play on Saturday?"

"I don't see why not."

"I've only been a member of an a capella show choir," Blaine said. "I don't know what the rulebook says about accompaniment.

"Well, Jesse St. James from Vocal Adrenaline played piano during Bohemian Rhapsody sophomore year," Rachel said, "and went right back to singing. So they can't have too much of a problem with it."

"I for one, am glad," Will said. "If Brad wasn't better, I wasn't sure what I was going to do."

"What's wrong with him?" Puck asked. "It's not like he needs a voice. Does he even have a voice?"

"He has the chicken pox," Will said. "Highly contagious, and very very dangerous for an adult to contract. It's best if he just stays home for the week. At any rate, that's just one song. We need to go through the other two."

"What else are we singing, Mr. Schue?" Rachel asked.

"Well," Will looked at Mercedes, Sugar, Brittany and Santana. "Girls? What number did you decide on for the Troubletones?"

"_Stronger,_" Mercedes said. "We've been working on it for more than a week." She walked over to the stereo and pressed play on the CD player. All four girls took their spots and ran through the Kelly Clarkson number. It was met with applause and excited murmurs throughout the group.

"And third," Will looked to Rachel. "You're going to bring us home," he said. "By yourself."

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"If things don't go as well as we want them to, this will be your last competition at McKinley," Will said. "And throughout it all, even through your tantrums and hissy fits, Rachel, bottom line is, you're the one most likely to drive us through to Nationals. So, harkening back to _Don't Rain on My Parade_, I'm giving you a true solo. _Here's to Us_. I'm envisioning the girls joining you on stage after about a minute, while the boys are up in the balconies, providing harmonies. It's a powerful song, we will, of course, be editing for content…"

"Right," Rachel said. "Do you have the arrangement?" she asked.

"Of course. Give it a read while everyone goes to change into work out clothing," Will said. "We've got a long, hard practice ahead of us."

Rachel took the music, picked up her bag, and walked out of the choir room, not watching where she was going as she made her way down to the locker room, still reading. It was by sheer luck that she made it to the girls' locker room without running into anyone or anything.

"Hey," came the soft voice when she set the music down, reaching for her gym clothes.

"You shouldn't be in here," she smiled.

"Like any of you have anything I'm interested in," Kurt said. He sat down on the bench. "Thanks," he said quietly.

"For what?" she asked. "For throwing a fit when Mr. Schue handed you _Defying Gravity_? For interrupting what was clearly a romantic night between you and Blaine? For forcing you guys to give up your secrets before you were ready?"

Kurt smiled. "It wasn't a romantic night, per say," he said. "Just relaxing. But thank you…for being there. I know that, despite our differences, if I need a girlfriend to talk to, you're there. And I know that, when I need to talk about what happened to me, to someone other than Blaine, that you'll be willing to listen. So, yeah. Thank you."

"You couldn't have said that over the phone tonight? You had to come find me in the changing room?" Rachel asked, unabashedly slipping out of her dress and pulling on her gym shirt. The rest of the girls were on the other side of the gym, unable to hear the quiet conversation.

"That and I don't really trust myself to be in the same room with Blaine while he's changing," Kurt smiled. He quickly changed into his own gym clothes, and then pulled Rachel close for a tight hug.

"Let's go to booty camp," Rachel said.

It was probably the easiest booty camp ever for the non-Troubletones members of New Directions. There was simple, ballroom type choreography for _Defying Gravity_, and _Here's to Us _was mainly the girls dancing simply behind Rachel. The boys were merely standing in the balconies.

But for Kurt, it was exhausting. Not the physicality of the dancing, but the pressure of being 'on'. Of maintaining his showmanship when all he wanted was to curl up and sleep.

Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist and led him out to the car. "You were fantastic," Blaine murmured, handing Kurt into the car.

"Thanks. So were you," Kurt responded, letting his head fall back against the head rest. "Ugh. Home. Shower. Food. Bed. In that order."

"Your wish is my command." Blaine pulled out of the McKinley parking lot and drove the short distance to the Hummel-Hudson household.

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE: I chose <strong>_**Defying Gravity**_** before **_**On My Way**_** aired. Had a full head canon on the songs they would have done, but I liked **_**Stronger**_** and **_**Here's to Us**_** so I stuck with them. This story is turning out to be so much longer than I'd anticipated. But, I've been convinced by some of my loyal readers to keep it going until it reaches a natural end, which saved you all from my April Fool's Joke of "I quit". Be thankful.**


	16. Regionals

**Note: Hey everyone...I am SO SO SO sorry I haven't updated this in FOREVER. I'm writing a GleeDSM fill that's taken up most of my energy and time. Again, so sorry. And worse? This is mostly a filler chapter. The next chapter is going to be much better. Or worse, depends on how you look at it. I'll try to have it up sooner...I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, Fox, or anything related to either. Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Kurt? Honey?" Carole called when the boys came through the front door. "Can I speak to you in the den for a moment?"<p>

"We can just talk here," Kurt said. "Finn isn't home yet. He had to drop Rachel off first."

"Blaine? Will you go upstairs? Kurt will be with you in just a minute," Carole said.

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but Blaine smiled. "I'll be right upstairs, baby." He squeezed his hand and walked to the stairs.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, following Carole into the kitchen.

Carole motioned him into a seat at the kitchen table. "I wanted to tell you, I spoke to the police today. I turned over the underwear you were wearing that night as evidence. I know you probably won't like that, but…"

"I completely forgot about those," Kurt said sheepishly. "Did the police think they would help?" he asked.

"They were very excited to get them, I think," Carole said. "But I really just wanted to apologize," she said. "For prying, and making things more difficult between you and Blaine. I never should have called him."

"You were just worried. I get it," Kurt said. "It doesn't matter now, because Blaine and I are back together, and I won't be so stupid again."

Carole nodded. "How are you feeling with everything?" she asked, reaching across the table to place a hand over his. "Are you in much pain now?"

"No," Kurt shook his head. "Blaine's been really good about making sure I take my medication. Incredible, really. About everything. I don't deserve him. Not at all."

"Well, you're stuck with him," Carole said with a teasing grin. "Because it'd be rather awkward for you to come home on breaks and have him living here if you two weren't together."

Kurt laughed. "I'm not letting him get away again," he said firmly. "Besides. I'm pretty sure you and Dad would disown me and adopt him given half a chance."

"Actually, that's something we need to talk to Blaine about," Carole said. "We're going to have to contact his parents and get a power of attorney or guardianship or something."

"I'll ask him," Kurt said. "He's almost eighteen, so it won't matter for long but, just in case…"

Carole nodded. "Alright. Supper will be on the table in twenty minutes, if you're eating."

Kurt nodded. "He'll have my head if I don't," he smiled. "I'll go let him know."

"And Kurt?" Carole asked as he stood to leave the room. "I want to get all the laundry done tomorrow, so if you boys would bring it down tonight or in the morning, I'd appreciate it. I'm not going to get it from your room. I won't invade your privacy like that."

"Thanks, Carole," Kurt smiled. "We'll make sure it's in the laundry room." He walked up the stairs and tapped softly on his bedroom door, then pushed it open. "Blaine?" he called softly. He heard the rich tones of his boyfriend's voice, and the thrum of the shower.

Making a quick decision, Kurt closed and locked the bedroom door, and strode over to the bathroom. "Blaine?" he called, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Come on in!" Blaine called back, interrupting himself in the middle of a piece Kurt wasn't sure he'd ever heard before.

Kurt stepped into the bathroom. "Supper's in fifteen, and I'd really like to rinse off before we have to be downstairs."

"Well come on in," Blaine said, peeking around the shower curtain. His curls were a riotous mess of shampoo suds.

"Carole's home. Not a chance. So hurry up."

"I'm gonna take a long shower," Blaine sang.

"Fine, I'll go use the shower in Dad and Carole's bathroom," Kurt said.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying," Blaine laughed. True to his word, within two minutes, he shut off the shower and reached for a towel, which Kurt handed to him. "I'll get dressed and go help Carole set the table. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you after supper," Kurt said. "I don't know why she wouldn't let you hang around. It wasn't anything secret."

"She's being sensitive to your feelings." Blaine pulled back the shower curtain, roughly drying his own hair.

Kurt whimpered slightly at the sight of his boyfriend naked, rivulets of water cascading down his body. "Go," he said, his tone somewhat strangled. "Before I change my mind."

Laughing, Blaine wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. He dressed quickly in clean sweats and a t-shirt and walked down to the kitchen, leaving Kurt to his shower.

Kurt, for his part, slipped into the shower, feeling slightly giddy at the thought that his boyfriend had so recently been in there. He washed up quicker than he ever had in his life, knowing he was on a deadline.

His hand and washcloth ghosted over his body, and he sucked in a quick breath when the terry cloth stroked over his cock, already half-hard, as it had been much of the time since he and Blaine had started experimenting more.

_It wouldn__'t take long,_ he told himself. _Blaine wants me to try this…_ His mind made up, Kurt squeezed a good amount of liquid soap into his hand and stroked it down his own length. He bit back the groan of pleasure. This felt good. Really good. Slowly, he stroked himself, learning what he liked, from what Blaine had done to Kurt, from what Blaine had done to himself the night before, finally settling on a rhythm that seemed to work best for him. It was a bit harder touch than Blaine had used, a bit quicker stroke. His fingers played inexpertly over his skin, and Kurt bit hard on the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out.

When his orgasm finally hit, Kurt dropped to his knees in the shower, biting his left hand to keep from sobbing with the pleasure. Shaking, he finished his shower, knowing he was expected at the dinner table in only minutes.

On wobbly legs, Kurt made his way down to the kitchen to see Blaine and Carole sitting at the island, talking softly. "Am I interrupting?" Kurt asked.

"No!" Blaine exclaimed with a bright smile. "Carole was just asking me if I thought it would be possible to get a power of attorney or guardianship from my parents. I'm going to email mom tonight, I still have to respond to the one from the other day."

"I can ask for you," Carole offered.

"No, it's okay. I need to let them know I'm not bringing a date to Mom's birthday party. Yes, I know, Kurt, don't give me that look." Blaine looked at Carole. "He's trying to convince me to take one of the New Directions girls to mom's birthday. Rachel, Mercedes, or Santana were his first choices. Brit, Quinn, and Sugar would just be too pleasing to my parents. I think Kurt wants to 'stick it to them' a bit."

"I can't imagine why," Carole said dryly. "But you're not taking anyone?"

"If I show up with a date, it'll mean they can dictate who I see. And Rachel has two gay dads, and she'd be sure to mention their ACLU connections. Santana is an outspoken Latina lesbian. Can't see that working out well in the long run. And Mercedes…" Blaine shook his head.

"Your parents are racist, too?" Carole asked.

"They can be," Blaine allowed. "But Mercedes, she's Kurt's best girl. And she wouldn't be able to hold her tongue, knowing she was there because he couldn't be."

"So I'm going to spend that evening with Mercedes and Rachel. We'll do facials, and watch movies, and, when Blaine's through playing dutiful banished son, he'll call me, and I'll leave Rachel's house to come home. Cause he's going to need support after that."

"Good idea." Carole smiled. She spoke conversationally. "You know, Blaine. Kurt's convinced that if you two ever broke up again, Burt and I would choose you over him."

Blaine frowned. "Don't even joke about that," he said to Kurt. "Breaking up, or your family disowning you."

"I'm sorry, honey," Kurt said, sticking his tongue out at Carole. "You weren't meant to hear that."

"You said you were going to tell him everything," Carole said.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, resting his chin on his boyfriend's shoulder. "I meant about the police," he said.

"What about the police?" Blaine asked, twisting to look at Kurt. "Did they catch the guy?"

"No, but Carole turned over some of my bloody clothing to them," Kurt said. "So I did provide evidence after all."

"Every little bit helps," Blaine said. "They're going to catch this guy, Kurt."

"I'm torn about that, actually," Kurt said.

"What?" Blaine asked. "You don't want them to catch him?"

"No, I do," Kurt said. "I just can't decide if I want him caught now, so he can't hurt anyone else, or if I want them to catch him on Sunday, so I don't have to identify him before Regionals."

Blaine and Carole both laughed at that. "Good point," Carole said. "In either case, we'll be behind you all the way, sweetie."

"I got a text message from dad today," Kurt said. "A text message. From dad. I'm pretty sure it said something to the effect of being sorry he had to go to Washington right now, and he would be back instantly if we needed him."

"Pretty sure?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. Dad isn't the best at texting. There were…um…some irregularities in the words."

Carole laughed. "In other words, Kurt was deciphering hieroglyphics."

"Pretty much."

"Well. I don't know where Finn is, but supper will be getting cold pretty quick. Let's eat." Carole gestured to the table, where a meal of what could only be described as comfort food was laid out. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh corn.

"Dad leaves and we forget about heart-healthy?" Kurt laughed.

"Hey, you won't let him eat it, but we all know it's one of your guilty pleasures," Carole said. "I just thought you might enjoy some real comfort food for once."

"Thanks, Carole," Kurt smiled.

The three sat down at the table, and served themselves. Kurt was eating more, but still not as much as he would have pre-attack.

"How is practicing for Regionals going?" Carole asked between bites.

"Oh my God!" Kurt squealed. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you! I got a solo! Well, a duet, but a competition solo! And so did Blaine, sort of!"

"Sort of?" Carole asked. "What do you mean?"

"Rachel and I are singing _Defying Gravity_ together as a duet, and Blaine's playing the piano for it! It sounds incredible!" Kurt bounced in his chair, then winced in pain. "Ow," he laughed, sitting down gingerly. "Anyway, yes. Solo. Don't tell Dad. I want it to be a surprise on Saturday."

"Of course," Carole laughed. "That's so wonderful!"

"I kinda wish he'd revealed the set-list before Ms. Pillsbury told him what happened to me, though," Kurt said. "I feel like he maybe gave me the solo to make up for me being attacked. Not that anything can make up for that."

"Kurt," Blaine said, shaking his head. "He had it arranged as a duet. Who else in the glee club would he have given that song to? Seriously, don't even start to think he gave it to you to 'make up' for the attack. It's not possible."

"Oh." Kurt looked down at his plate. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He smiled. "Well. Now that that little bit of self-indulgent pity is over, Carole, this is great."

"I'm glad you like it," she responded. Before anyone could say more, the front door slammed. "Finn! Supper!" she called.

Finn trudged into the dining room, dropping his backpack on the floor. "Hey," he said, sitting down in his normal chair.

"You alright, Finn?" Kurt asked.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine," Finn said, filling his plate with food. "Just tired. And hungry."

"Rachel get home okay?" Blaine asked, trying to make polite conversation.

"Yeah," Finn said. "She's home. I told her not to come over tonight. She wasn't happy about it."

Carole smiled. "I'm proud of you," she said, finishing up her own supper. "I have to head into work in a few minutes. Can I trust you boys to clean up after dinner?"

"Of course, Carole," Blaine said. "We'll make sure the kitchen is clean before we go to bed."

"Thank you. I'm going in a few hours early to help out a coworker," she explained. "I'll be home around four am, and might not be up to see you boys off to school in the morning."

"I think we'll survive," Kurt smiled. "Thanks again for making such an amazing supper."

"Not a problem. I figured you boys could use some hearty food after such a long rehearsal today." She smiled. "Now you boys be nice to one another, and I'll see you tomorrow after school." Carole stood and walked around to each boy, kissing him on the top of the head. "Blaine, I don't like the taste of your hair gel,," she observed, her eyes sparkling with teasing mirth. "Your curls are beautiful. You don't need so much." With that said, she hurried out the door.

"I've been telling him that for a year," Kurt said dryly. "Makes you look like you're wearing a helmet." He squeezed his boyfriend's hand. "I still love you."

"Uh-huh," Blaine laughed. "Leave my hair alone."

Kurt smiled. "I'll break you of your gel…it may take until we're together in New York, but I will break you of your gel. There are so many other products that would control your hair without…that."

"If I let you play after Regionals, will you hush up about it now?" Blaine asked.

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. He took another bite of his supper, then pushed his plate away. "Finn, you're on dishes."

"But mom said all three of us!"

"You do the dishes, and I'll bake cookies," Kurt offered. "But you leave us alone tonight. As in turn your music up and don't even bother knocking on our door. We're not having sex, but I'm giving Blaine a massage and the noises he makes when I do that are obscene."

"You're giving me a massage?" Blaine asked quietly. He'd also finished supper, and picked up their plates, carrying them into the kitchen.

"Yup!" Kurt said cheerfully. "Let's go. Finn, just call up to us when you've finished the dinner dishes, and I'll come down and make cookies." He looked at Blaine. "I froze a ton of cookie dough just for nights like this."

"Alright," Finn said. "I give in. Just, um, yeah. Try to keep it down, a little?"

"We'll do our best," Kurt said sweetly. He took Blaine by the hand and led him up the stairs.

"I thought you were exhausted," Blaine said to Kurt. "I don't need a massage, I'm doing fine."

"Oh, good. I just came up with the least offensive thing I could think of to get him to leave us alone. I wasn't sure how I was actually going to give you a massage without falling asleep."

"How are you going to make cookies?"

"I'm not. You are."

"I am?"

"Yes, Blaine. You're going to go downstairs, pull the cookie dough out of the freezer in the garage, it's clearly marked 'Kurt's Cookie Dough, DO NOT TOUCH!'. You're going to scoop it out using the cookie dough scoop in the second drawer down on the right of the oven, onto the cookie sheets that are in the cupboard to the left of the oven, and put them into the oven per the directions on the container of cookie dough, for exactly as long as it states on the container. You are not going to use the ice cream scoop, you are not going to use your hands, and you are not going to just use a big spoon. Cookie scoop."

Blaine smiled. "It's so good to have you back," he said. He hugged Kurt tightly. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too." Kurt kissed him gently. "But, uh, before you go downstairs and bake me fresh cookies, of which you'll have to make at least one cookie sheet for Finn, could you help me out?"

"Of course." Blaine made quick work of treating the injuries, it was down to a science now. "Do you want me to finish you off?" he asked as he cradled Kurt in his arms.

"No," Kurt flushed. "I…uh…I took care of that myself, before dinner."

When Kurt's words registered, Blaine smiled widely. "You did?" he asked.

"Yeah…I was in the shower, right after you, and it was so hot, thinking about how recently you'd been in there, and I just…couldn't help myself." He was burning brighter. "I, um…"

"That's great, Kurt," Blaine said warmly. "I mean it."

"Let's not make a big deal about the fact that I masturbated," Kurt said uncomfortably. "Okay?"

"You got it." Blaine kissed him with a loud, playful smack. "I'm going to go make cookies. You relax here, work on homework. I'll be back before you know it."

"Don't forget to preheat the oven while you're prepping the sheets," Kurt said.

For the next hour, Blaine baked the cookies. He took a plate to Finn's room, and a larger plate to Kurt's room, wrapping the other cookies in the kitchen for the family. He cleaned up the kitchen, then returned to Kurt's side. "Cookies. Hot and ready in just over an hour."

"You forgot the milk," Kurt pouted. He quickly closed his laptop, before Blaine could see what he'd been looking at.

"Do you want it warmed?" Blaine wrinkled his nose.

"Yes, please?"

"Will Finn want a glass, too?"

"That would be nice of you."

"Alright. Well, I'm glad you're already in pajamas, because I want to cuddle with my boyfriend. Be comfy in bed when I get back."

Blaine warmed enough milk for two glasses in a pan on the stove, and carried them upstairs. "Finn," he said, elbowing the teen's door. "Warm milk for you."

"Oh, thanks, man!" Finn exclaimed. He took the glass. "You're awesome."

"Thanks," Blaine smiled. "You're pretty cool, too. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Blaine carried Kurt's glass of milk into the bedroom, setting it on the bedside table next to his boyfriend. "Here you go," he said.

"Thanks." Kurt sipped the milk, and nibbled on a cookie. "Mmm, good job, Blaine," he smiled.

"It was all you," Blaine smiled. "Now. Homework."

"Ugh. Can't we claim ignorance of the whole academic system?" Kurt asked, but he reached for his bag. "Thankfully, I don't have much tonight." He hurried through the math problems, answered the literature questions, skimming through the chapter of the book. He helped Blaine with his French homework before curling up on his side, facing his boyfriend. "Can we go to bed now?" Kurt asked.

"Absolutely," Blaine said. He wrapped his arms around Kurt, drawing him atop his body. "Goodnight, baby," he murmured.

The two boys slept through the night, and when the alarm woke them up, they decided to have breakfast and coffee at the Lima Bean instead of eating at home. They made their way to school, and through the rest of the week, through rehearsals, and classes, and suddenly, it was Friday afternoon, and they were having the last rehearsal prior to the competition. Kurt checked his phone during a break, and there was a message from the doctor, that he needed to come in as soon as possible regarding his test results. _Defying Gravity_ was finished, they were just running through the other two numbers, so he talked to Will, pulled Blaine aside, got his boyfriend's car keys, and left.

Kurt went to see the doctor, made another stop, and was back at McKinley in time to pick up Blaine from rehearsal. "Everything's fine," was all he would say to Blaine about the doctor. They went home for supper, and early to bed for a good night's sleep.

Then it was Saturday morning, and time for Regionals The New Directions won. They were going to Nationals in Chicago. Kurt and Rachel sang flawlessly, Blaine's piano playing exquisite. The girls did an amazing job on _Stronger,_ and Rachel knocked one out of the park with her solo.

Burt, home from D.C. in time for the competition, took the boys and Carole out to Breadstix afterwards. Rachel was celebrating with her dads, and declined the invitation.

"You did fantastic," Burt said. "All three of you were absolutely wonderful. Now you get ready for Nationals?"

"Yup," Finn said. "Nationals."

"Right," Kurt said. "Nationals, and my NYADA audition."

"What are you going to do for that?" Carole asked, even as Blaine and Finn were shaking their heads vigorously. "What?" she asked.

"Don't get him started, mom, please!" Finn exclaimed. "Let's have a nice, relaxed dinner. We can talk about which song he's going to sing later. Okay?"

Kurt frowned. "I'm still trying to decide," he said. "But I want to go over it with Blaine before I reveal it to anyone else."

"That's fine, bud," Burt smiled. "I know you'll kill it."

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><p><strong>Please read and review?<strong>


	17. Milk and Cookies

**This chapter is incredibly short, but action-packed. I won't ask you to enjoy it. MAJOR WARNINGS for self-harm. You have been warned. Please read on if you feel you won't be triggered. If you need to skip this chapter, PLEASE send me a PM and I can give you a quick synopsis of what's happened. BE SAFE. DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU MAY BE TRIGGERED. I CANNOT stress that enough.**

****Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I don't own Blaine, or Kurt. (Which is probably for the best, all things equal. Hate to see how many cute boys I'd have hidden under my bed.) No money is being made off of this work. It's a work of fiction and is in no way considered a depiction of real people.  
><strong>**

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><p>The family had a nice, relaxing Sunday at home, until the afternoon, when Carole drove Burt to the Lima airport this time, before heading to work for a night shift, leaving the three boys at home alone.<p>

"Kurt, can you make cookies again?" Finn asked, his lower lip sticking out. "They're so good."

"I'll take care of it," Blaine said. "In about an hour, Finn, if that's okay."

"Alright," Finn said. "Thanks, man."

"Not a problem. Come on, Kurt, let's go finish our homework before I make cookies."

"I finished mine while you and Finn were playing whatever video game you were going on about this afternoon," Kurt said. "Would you read over my history essay to make sure it's okay, though?"

"Of course," Blaine smiled. The two walked up the stairs together, hand-in-hand, settling onto the bed to work on homework. Blaine read over the history paper, and made a few suggestions. Kurt took the pages and began making notes on them. He didn't really care about the paper, but he knew it was best to stay quiet while Blaine was doing his own homework.

Finally, boredom getting the best of him, Kurt changed to the laptop, doing some more browsing with the window carefully turned away from Blaine.

"Where you going?" Blaine asked when Kurt stood up from the bed a little while later, closing the lid on his laptop.

"Bathroom," Kurt called over his shoulder. He shut and locked the door behind him.

Blaine finished the assignment he was working on. "Kurt!" he called. "I'm going down to make the cookies!"

"Okay!" Kurt shouted back. "Don't forget the warm milk this time!"

"I won't! I love you!"

"I love you, too!"

Blaine went down and made another batch of cookies, delivering the first plate to Finn's room along with his milk, and then going back to make more for him and Kurt. His shouted "I love you" as he past the bedroom door was returned from the bathroom. Maybe Kurt had decided to have a shower.

Half an hour later, Blaine walked back into the bedroom, finding the bed empty. "Kurt?" he called. He frowned. Why wasn't Kurt back in bed? Probably still in the bathroom, maybe doing his moisturizing. He'd give him a few minutes. He set the warm milk down on the bedside table, hoping it didn't go cold before Kurt came back. He pulled up Kurt's laptop, maximizing the already open browser window. He frowned. What was Kurt looking at?

The blood drained from Blaine's face. "Kurt?" he called, a note of urgency in his voice. He tossed the laptop aside, going to the bathroom door and knocking on it. "Kurt? Answer me, dammit!" He tried the doorknob. Locked.

Nothing. "Finn!" Blaine screamed. "Finn, bring your phone and come here, now!"

Finn came in a moment later, just as Blaine put his shoulder against the door, forcing it open. What he saw inside the bathroom turned his stomach.

"Finn, call 911. We need an ambulance," Blaine said, surprisingly calm. He grabbed one of Kurt's thick black towels, immediately kneeling next to the half-conscious boy. Blood covered the bathroom floor from two long vertical slashes, one on each forearm. "Finn! Now! 911!" He wrapped the towel tightly around one wrist, pinning Kurt's arm to the floor with his knee. Then he grabbed a second towel. He wrapped it around the other wrist, then took in Kurt's pale face, blue lips. "Shit!" he exclaimed. "Kurt, wake up." He slapped his boyfriend across the cheek, trying to bring him back to awareness.

"Blaine," Kurt murmured, his eyes fluttering open. "Sorry. Love you." He closed his eyes again.

"No! Kurt dammit! Don't do this to me! The ambulance is coming. They're going to take care of you. They're going to save you. Fuck, Kurt, please, don't die!" Blaine's voice broke. "Please…don't die."

"They're on the way, man," Finn said, standing in the doorway. "I'm calling mom at work, so she knows when we get there."

Blaine glanced over his shoulder at Finn. "Yeah…good idea. Wouldn't want to scare your mom that way." He looked back at Kurt, tears streaming down his face. What had changed? How had things gone downhill so fast? He hadn't been gone long enough for this. Kurt had yelled 'I love you' not that long ago! And that's when he saw the bottle. Empty, lying on its side, under the toilet, the cotton and foil from the seal scattered about. Kurt had swallowed the entire bottle. Probably while having Blaine bake cookies.

Blaine heard sirens. He took a deep breath. "Kurt, help is here. They're going to help you. Please, just stay with me." The slight rise and fall of Kurt's chest was reassuring. "Finn, go let them in, please," he said. "I'm keeping pressure on his arms." And he was. Knees pressed tight to Kurt's wrists, his boyfriend's fingers were tinged blue, but that was better than his lifeblood draining onto the bathroom floor.

Finn, happy to get away from the macabre scene, raced out of the room and down the stairs, flinging open the front door. "In here, in here!" he cried. "Second door on the left, upstairs, please, save my brother!"

Two firefights raced up the stairs, bags in hand. "The ambulance will be here in a minute," a third firefighter said. "Look, you need to sit down before we have a second patient on our hands." He forced Finn to sit down on the front stoop. "Head between your knees, kid."

The fourth firefighter from the truck, the captain, was standing next to the front passenger side of the truck, speaking into the radio. He nodded, then walked over to the firefighter with Finn. "Is anyone else home with you, kid?" he asked, kneeling down in front of Finn. The third firefighter, the one who had gotten Finn to sit, ran inside to help his colleagues.

"Blaine. He's…he's my brother's boyfriend. He lives here with us. He's upstairs with Kurt. He…Blaine found him."

"Where are your parents?"

"Mom's an ER nurse at Lima General. She's waiting for us to get there. Kurt's dad, my step dad, is on a flight to DC right now. He's a congressman."

"Okay. Well, there's not much room in the ambulance, but I'm reasonably sure they'll let you ride in the back with him."

"What about Blaine?" Finn asked immediately. "He needs to be back there with Kurt, not me. He was so calm…I'm losing it, man."

The captain nodded. "It's unusual, but if you ask, they'll let you ride up front and Blaine can ride in the back. Normally it's family only, but…"

"Blaine lives here, dude. Like, he and my brother are gonna get married. He's family." Finn looked up at the firefighters. "Is my brother going to die?"

"We're going to do all we can to prevent that. But you need to go get your keys and wallet, and Kurt's wallet, because the ambulance is going to be here any second, and they won't wait for you. They're going to pack him up and get him to the hospital as quickly as possible."

Finn nodded. He accepted the hand of the firefighter at his elbow, and stood. He walked into the house, grabbing keys, jackets, wallets, pausing before entering Kurt's bedroom. "Blaine?" he asked, seeing the young man sitting on the edge of Kurt's desk chair. His pants were covered in blood. "Dude, they're going to let us go to the hospital with him, but you need to get your wallet, your keys, jacket, and maybe change your pants."

Blaine looked up, his eyes red from crying. "I can't," he whispered. "He did this because I couldn't make him happy. He did this because he didn't want to be with me anymore. He did this…"

"Shut up, dude," Finn said. "Kurt loves you. And I don't know why he did this, but he's gonna want to see you when he wakes up. So grab some clean clothes, your wallet, your keys, and let's go. They said we have to be ready when the ambulance gets here." Just then there were more sirens. "See? Hurry, dude!"

Blaine stood, took a deep breath, and walked over to the dresser. He pulled out a clean pair of pants and took off the ones he was wearing, no thought for Finn being in the room. He pulled on the clean jeans, knowing there was blood on his legs that would dirty them up immediately, but not caring. He grabbed his keys and wallet off the desk, just as two paramedics came into the room, carrying a stretcher.

"If any of you boys are coming along, be outside," the first paramedic said, before stepping into the bathroom to relieve the firefighters.

Blaine walked on wooden limbs to the stairs, stumbling down them. Finn caught him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Dude, don't pass out on me," he said. "Don't do this. Kurt needs you. Let's get out to the ambulance so we're ready for them." He made a split-second decision and swept Blaine up in his arms, juggling the jackets he was already carrying. He carried the smaller teen down the stairs and out to the ambulance, setting him on his feet once they got there. "You okay?"

"Yeah…thanks, Finn. For everything. I mean it."

"Put your jacket on," Finn said. He wrapped the clothing around Blaine's shoulders, coaxing his arms into it. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"I don't think he's going to make it, Finn," Blaine said honestly. "He stopped breathing…his heart stopped. They were performing CPR. And when they start doing CPR…usually, the person doesn't make it. He's lost so much blood, Finn. God, I can't lose him now."

"He's going to be fine. You found him in time. You had to. It's going to be okay. It has to. Mom's meeting us at the hospital. She'll call Burt after he's landed, she said."

"Oh God, Burt," Blaine shuddered. "He trusted me. I promised I'd take care of Kurt. But…I didn't think he'd do it. Especially not now…I thought everything was okay. Fuck, Finn, Burt's going to kill me."

"Dude, Burt knows. Kurt's stubborn. He's…fuck, man, Kurt's the most stubborn guy I know. If he wants something bad enough, he gets it. You know that as well as I do." Finn hugged Blaine impulsively.

"Hey, Finn?" Blaine asked. "Do us all a favor? Don't call Rachel."

"I hadn't planned on it," Finn said. "This is a family thing. Even I know that."

"He promised me he'd make it through Regionals," Blaine said. "And he did. Plus a day. He purposefully waited until your parents weren't home. God, Finn, why?"

"We're gonna have to ask him, dude," Finn said.

The paramedics came out of the house with the stretcher between them, pushing it down the driveway to the ambulance. "Whoever's coming, get in," one of them said as they loaded the stretcher into the back. Kurt looked as pale as a sheet.

"I gotta lock the door," Finn realized.

"My men will secure the house, kid, just get in the ambulance," the fire captain said, pointing to the front seat of the ambulance. "Go, now."

Blaine was shown to a seat out of the way in the back of the ambulance, while Finn hopped in the front seat. "Is he gonna be okay?" Blaine asked the paramedic in the back with them.

"We're doing our best," she said kindly. "We're going to do all we can for him. Hold on now, this is going to be a quick ride."

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><p><strong>Please don't hate me. And please review.<br>**


	18. Hospitals

**I'm not going to apologize for not updating for over a year. Those of you who follow me on tumblr know about Unclaimed, Claimed, and Violated. Those stories consumed me. And I've been churning out chapters regularly for them. This one...my writing has matured over the last year, in my opinion, and kinda left this story behind. I don't know when the next update will come. I really don't. This is one of those stories that I have to be in a certain mood to write, and I haven't been in that mood much lately. Come visit me on tumblr, thaliana1981 . tumblr . com**

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><p>In minutes, they arrived at the hospital. A trauma team took the stretcher from the paramedics, and Finn caught Blaine as he stepped out of the ambulance, shaking. "He'll be okay, man," Finn reassured, holding his brother's boyfriend in a tight embrace. "He has to." He helped Blaine through the emergency room doors.<p>

"Finn! Blaine!" Carole came striding down the hall toward them, her colourful scrubs a stark contrast to her pale skin. "What happened?"

"Kurt hurt himself," Finn said. "Blaine found him. I called 911."

"He didn't just hurt himself," Blaine said. "He took a whole bottle of pills, and sliced his arms open from wrist to elbow. He wanted to die!"

"Do you have the pill bottle?" Carole asked, trying to stay calm.

"I pointed it out to the firefighters, I'm sure they gave it to someone," Blaine said. "Should I have grabbed it? I should have grabbed it. What if they didn't tell them? What if he dies because I didn't make sure they knew he took pills?"

"Blaine!" Carole exclaimed. "Calm down! Sweetheart, you did everything just fine. It's up to the doctors now. You and Finn need to go have a seat. I've left a message at the airport in DC for Burt, he'll hopefully call me the moment he gets it. I'm going to go see if I can find out anything. You two go have a seat. Finn, keep an eye on him?"

"I got him, Mom," Finn said. He guided Blaine to a seat in the waiting room, his arm still around the shorter teen.

Blaine sobbed into Finn's shoulder as they waited for what seemed like hours, but wasn't really all that long. They waited, and waited, and waited until Carole came out to see them.

"Sorry, boys," she said, sitting down next to Blaine. She reached for his hands, squeezing them in hers.

"Sorry? He's gone?" Blaine asked, his face falling even further, his eyes welling with renewed tears.

"No!" she exclaimed. "No no no! Sorry I took so long to get back to you. I was conferring with the trauma team. Kurt's okay. He's lost a lot of blood, it was really touch and go, but I'm pretty sure he's going to make it. They're giving him a large blood transfusion, they've pumped his stomach, and he's going to be here awhile, but there's no reason to think he won't wake up."

"Oh, thank God," Blaine sagged against Carole. "When can I see him?"

"Honey, Kurt's going to be asleep for a long time. When they're finished working on him, he'll be transferred to the ICU. You won't be able to see him for a day or two."

"No," Blaine said desperately. "Please, Carole, I just need to see that he's okay."

"We'll see what happens, but Blaine, it's probably best if you and Finn take my car home. That way there's someone to pick Burt up from the airport. You need to try to get some sleep. Both of you."

"I can't," Blaine shook his head. "Carole, I can't sleep in his room, in our room…his blood is everywhere, the bathroom floor is saturated with it."

"You can sleep in my room, dude," Finn said. "I…I don't think I can sleep alone either. Like, no homo, just as bros."

Blaine shook his head. "Thanks, Finn, but I think I'll just stay here."

"No, you're going home," Carole said firmly. "Sleep on the couch if you have to. But you're going home. The hospital is no place to spend the night, especially when I'm a nurse that can call you if anything happens. Go. Get some sleep. I'll call you both out of school in the morning. All three of you, I guess. You'll be out most of this week, I'm sure. We'll let you stay home until we're ready to figure out what to tell everyone at school."

"Right," Blaine sighed. "Carole, this is…it's a bit awkward, but, uh, can I use one of the other showers? I need to…need to get Kurt's blood off me."

Carole nodded. "Our home is your home now, sweetheart. You go right ahead," she said. "Do whatever you need to. Sleep in our bed if you want to." She squeezed his hands again. "I need to get back to work. You two go home, and I'll call your cell, Finn, if anything happens."

"Why Finn?" Blaine asked. "Why not me?"

"Because I want you to try to rest, and worrying that you'll miss your phone ringing will keep you awake," Carole said gently. "Finn's ringer is loud enough to wake the dead. There's no way he'll miss it."

"Dude, I promise," Finn nodded. "Okay, Mom, where are your keys?"

Carole took her car key from her pocket, handing it over. "Also, Finn, I'll call you when I need a ride home, and I'll have Burt call you when he needs to be picked up from the airport. Are you okay with all that, honey?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm gonna get Blaine home, get him cleaned up, and tucked into bed, somewhere," Finn said. "You know, Blaine saved his life…he knew something was wrong, and got to him in time…"

"I know," Carole said quietly. "Blaine, I can never thank you enough."

"Just…just make sure he's okay," Blaine whispered. "That's all I care about. Making sure he's okay."

Carole nodded. She gave him a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him and holding him for a long moment. "I love you boys," she murmured. "All three of you. Never thought I'd have three sons, but I do, and it's great." She smiled sadly. "Go home, you two. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Thanks," Blaine said quietly. "I appreciate that." He forced himself to his feet and took a deep breath. "Carole, if...if he wakes up, will you tell him I love him?"

"Of course," Carole offered a slight smile. "Now go on, both of you."

Finn took Blaine by the elbow and led him out of the hospital, finding his mother's car in the staff parking lot. He got them home with a minimum of speech and effort.

"I need to shower," Blaine whispered once they walked into the house. "I have his blood everywhere." He let his jacket fall off his shoulders, pooling on the floor behind him. His shoes followed, and he stared down at the red that had soaked into his socks without him realizing it.

"Dude, it's cool. There's the second floor bathroom that's kinda mine, but, uh, I haven't cleaned it in awhile, or you can use the shower in Mom and Burt's room. They won't mind."

"Um...yeah, um..." Blaine looked like he couldn't make the decision. "Finn?" he asked, his eyes bright. "If Kurt dies...I...I won't have anywhere to go..."

"Dude, no!" Finn exclaimed. "First, he's not gonna die. Second, if he did, Mom and Burt aren't gonna kick you out. I mean, come on, man, they wouldn't do that. They love you. Seriously. Mom called you her son. Now let's get you cleaned up. Do you, uh, have a robe or anything in Kurt's room? I'll go get it..."

"No, I..." Blaine frowned. He'd forgotten his robe when he'd packed at his parents' house.

"It's okay. Kurt won't mind if you borrow one of his. He has the "sick robe," the ratty one he only wears when he's sick, you know? I'll, uh, I'll just go grab that from his room. You go up to Mom and Burt's room, and start the shower, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Blaine walked toward the stairs. He saw the blood on the carpet leading up to the second floor, and froze. "Blood," he whispered. "Everywhere, blood..."

"Dude, don't look at it. Just go," Finn said. He pointed up the stairs. "Straight to the room at the end. Don't look into your bedroom, just go."

"Right." Blaine lifted his foot and placed it on the first step, and suddenly felt a comforting hand in the center of his back. Finn guided him up the stairs and down to Burt and Carole's room, past the open door of Kurt's bedroom, past Finn's bedroom.

"Go on and shower," Finn directed. "I...I'd rather not help you with that part. Unless you really need me to."

"No. I..." Blaine looked up at Finn, and the tears started to fall again.

"Come on," Finn sighed. "You're wearing your underwear into the shower, though." He pushed Blaine through the bathroom door and started the shower. "Arms up." He stripped Blaine's shirt off his body and tossed it aside. "Man, will you at least unbutton your own pants?" he asked.

Blaine's fingers fumbled, but he finally managed to unbutton and unzip his pants, steadying himself on Finn's shoulder as he kicked the bloodied garment away, toeing off his soaked socks as well.

"Okay, into the shower," Finn directed. "I'll go get you a towel and Kurt's robe."

"Right...shower..." Blaine stepped into the shower and just stood there, frozen, watching as rivulets of his boyfriend's blood washed down the drain. He stayed there until Finn got back.

"Okay, dude, got Kurt's robe and some sweats for you," Finn said, walking back into the bathroom. He took in Blaine, who was staring at the floor, unmoving. "Dude, close your eyes and soap off," he said. "That way you can't see it. And you can get out of the shower before it goes cold."

"I can smell it," Blaine whispered, barely audible over the shower. "It's awful...like old pennies..."

"Come on, dude, I draw the line at actually getting into the shower with you," Finn said. "Like, I mean, I know you're with my bro, and all, and I'm fine with that, but...I'm just not ready to shower with a guy."

Blaine looked up at Finn, eyes hollow, gaze fixed. "Sorry," he said quietly. "Go ahead and go, I'll be fine."

Finn held out a washcloth. "I'm just gonna go make some hot chocolate, okay? Come down to the living room when you're done and we'll put on a movie."

"Sure..."

Finally, Finn left him alone.

Blaine did as Finn had suggested and scrubbed himself down with his eyes closed, letting the water run for a full five minutes after he thought he was done, in the hopes that there would be no blood left once he finally opened his eyes.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off, pulling off his sodden underwear and pulling on the sweats Finn had left. He pulled Kurt's soft, fluffy robe around himself and padded out of the master bedroom, his blood and water-soaked clothes in hand. He almost stopped at his and Kurt's bedroom to dump the clothes into the laundry when he realized what lay beyond the firmly closed door. Blaine headed straight for the laundry room, faltering when he saw the bloody footprints on the stairs. His shoes were ruined, his socks and jeans probably beyond repair. The jeans and shirt he'd worn when he'd found Kurt were in even worse shape, and Blaine realized that it was going to take a lot of work to even try to begin to clean up the messes.

After the clothes were in the laundry room, Blaine walked to the living room, peeking his head in through the doorway. "Finn, I'm going to go clean the bathroom," Blaine said. "Kurt's bathroom, I mean."

"No, dude, come sit with me," Finn shook his head. "I put on Finding Nemo. And I made hot chocolate. Come on, the bathroom can wait. You just got cleaned up, no reason to get all dirty again."

Blaine frowned. "But Kurt will be so upset when he realizes what a mess the bathroom is."

"Dude, Kurt made the mess," Finn said. It was exactly the wrong thing to say. Blaine's tears started anew, hot, fat drops rolling down his cheeks. "Oh, man, Blaine, I'm sorry, dude, come on," Finn frowned. He got up and walked over to Blaine, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him to the couch.

Blaine sobbed into Finn's shoulder for a long time, letting himself be held by the other teen. He ignored one of his favorite Disney movies and sat, huddled on the couch, as the hours passed. He knew he couldn't sleep, but he didn't expect Finn to sit up beside him all night long, either.

When Finn's phone rang with an incoming text, both boys jumped, startled. "Sorry, dude," Finn said, picking up the cell from the table. He frowned. "Fuck," he said.

"What is it?"

"Rachel. She heard from one of our neighbors about the ambulance. Her text says 'Finn, I've given you five hours to call me and tell me what the ambulance was at your house for. I think that's more than long enough for you to tell your girlfriend about any emergency. I've been patient long enough. Is everything okay?' Blaine, what do I do?"

"I don't know," Blaine frowned. "Kurt...he wouldn't want us to tell everyone, and telling Rachel is tantamount to telling everyone..."

"I don't know what that word means, but Rachel can't keep a secret," Finn said.

"Exactly. Okay. Text her back, just tell her she woke you up, everything is fine, and you'll talk to her tomorrow after school." He took Finn's phone when the taller boy faltered. "I'll do it." He sent a succinct text, using Finn's vocabulary instead of his own. "Maybe we should try to sleep."

"No point," Finn shook his head. "Burt will probably call soon. And mom gets off in two more hours. You can if you want, dude, I'll go get them myself."

Blaine frowned. "I'm gonna go lay on the loveseat, so you can stretch out here, and we'll just watch mindless television."

"Okay." Finn watched as Blaine got up and shuffled over to the loveseat, pulling the throw from the back over his body and curling up in a little ball. "Goodnight, bro," he said quietly.

"Yeah...night, Finn." Blaine refused to close his eyes, though, staring at the television even as Rachel continued to text. "Tell her you're going back to bed," Blaine said miserably. "Get her to shut up."

"I'll just shut off the ringer," Finn said.

"No!" Blaine exclaimed. "If you do that, you won't hear the phone ring when Burt or Carole calls. Fuck!" He reached for his own phone, sitting on the coffee table. He texted Rachel himself. "Rachel, go to sleep!"

The wrong thing to do. Apparently, Rachel was up for the day, because she started texting both of them, telling them both how inconsiderate they were to not tell her what was going on, and that they needed to think about her as well, because she cared about them.

Blaine swallowed hard, and pressed the button to call the obnoxious, but well-meaning brunette. "Rachel, it's Blaine," he said tiredly when she picked up. "Look, something happened, but we're not allowed to talk about it. None of us have slept all night, and we really need to try to get some rest. Everyone is okay, that's the important thing. Please please please let us get some rest."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Blaine, I didn't realize it was that bad," Rachel said quietly. "I'll just...yeah. Go to sleep, Blaine. We'll...we'll talk later. I guess you guys aren't coming to school?"

"No," Blaine said. "None of us are coming to school today. Finn will call you later, okay? Just...please, don't say anything to anyone."

"I won't. Bye, Blaine."

Blaine tossed the phone back onto the coffee table and sank back down into the cushions. "Hopefully that works."

Blaine's eyes drifted closed, and he fell asleep. But it was only minutes later that Finn's phone rang.

"Burt," Finn said groggily. He answered the phone. "Burt?"

"Finn," Burt said, his voice obviously thick with tears. "I've rented a car in Columbus, I couldn't get a flight back into Lima until the afternoon. I'll be at the hospital in two hours or less, I'll pick up your mom. She explained everything. How...how's Blaine doing?"

"He's pretty messed up, I'm not gonna lie," Finn said. "But he's holding it together, I think. You sure you don't need a ride?"

"I can be there before you could be here, really," Burt said. "And I can return the car to the Lima airport. Your mom and I will come home and see you boys right away."

Blaine held out his hand for the phone, silently pleading for Finn to hand him the device.

"Burt, Blaine wants to talk to you," Finn said. Receiving an affirmative, he handed the phone over.

"Burt," Blaine said thickly. "I'm so sorry."

"Blaine, stop it," Burt said. "He obviously wanted this more than we knew. You know how stubborn he is. Do not blame yourself. If anything, blame me for thinking that school's lousy excuse for counselling would be enough. But my son loves you, and we're going to get to the bottom of this. No matter what."

"But...what if he dies?" Blaine asked softly. "What then?"

"He's not going to die. Carole filled me in when I was in D.C. And we're going to keep him from trying again. But if he were to manage it, we'd push through and persevere like the family we are. Son, you're a part of our family now, like it or not. And we're not about to let you run away."

"Oh..." Blaine looked down at his lap. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"No need to thank us, Blaine. You're one of our sons now. I need to go, I need to concentrate on driving. I'll see you boys in a few hours."

"Bye..." Blaine hung up the phone.

"Was I right?" Finn asked quietly. "Did he tell you that we're family and you're stuck with us?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "He did."

"Told you!" Finn exclaimed. Then he sobered. "Dude, they won't be home for hours yet. Let's try to sleep?"

"You go ahead," Blaine suggested. "I'm going to watch some television."

"There's nothing on this time of night. Look, just come up and hang out in my room with me? Rachel made me change the sheets, so my bed is clean...I just...I don't wanna be alone."

Blaine sighed. "Okay," he said. "That...that'd be nice." He got up from the couch and followed Finn up the stairs, faltering at his and Kurt's bedroom door.

"C'mon," Finn said quietly. "Just come with me. Don't look at the floors, don't go in the room. You'll be fine."

"Thanks, Finn. I don't know how I would have gotten through this without you."

"That's what brothers do," Finn said. He looked uncomfortable. "You'd do the same for me."

"I hope I never have to," Blaine said. He sat down on the edge of Finn's bed, then, at the other boy's urging, moved up to the pillows.

"Just lay back, I'll turn on another movie, and we can just try not to think about it."

"Right." The time passed, and finally, after a few hours of restless sleep, the front door opened.

Carole walked through the door, slipped off her shoes, and automatically bent to straighten them. She picked up Finn and Blaine's shoes, too, putting them in a neat row. "Honey, just...go straight into the living room," she recommended quietly to Burt.

"Why?" the older man asked, kicking off his own shoes and dropping his bag in the entryway.

"Just go," Carole said. "I'm going to call a carpet cleaning company as soon as they open." There were bloodstains all the way up the stairs.

"Oh. No, I think I need to check in with the boys," Burt said. "A little blood isn't going to bother me."

"It's not a little, but okay. I don't know where the boys are, they could be in the living room, in Finn's room, or even ours," she explained.

Burt peeked his head into the living room and didn't see anyone. "They must be upstairs," he said. He followed Carole up the stairs, carefully avoiding spots of blood as he walked.

Carole tapped lightly on Finn's bedroom door. "Come in," came a groggy voice. She pushed the door open. "Hey, honey," she said. "How are you doing? Where's Blaine?"

"Hmm?" Blaine sat up, and Burt, behind Carole, was taken back to the moment when he'd first met the boy who had captured his son's heart, sleeping, disoriented, in another bed in the house.

"There he is," Carole said gently. "Okay, I'm home, Burt and I are going to take a nap. But I wanted to fill you guys in before we did that."

Blaine was instantly wide awake. "What?" he asked. "How is he?" He scrambled off the bed.

"He's going to be okay," Burt said. "He still hasn't woken up, he took a lot of pills. But I've seen him, and besides being even more ghostly pale than ever, he looks okay. They're keeping him hydrated and they've given him a rather large blood transfusion. But when he wakes up, he's going to be in a world of hurt for a long time. They don't know if there's any brain damage from the pills, and they won't know until he wakes up. For now, we're just going to focus on the fact that he will wake up. Anything else will come later."

"Oh," Blaine said, looking down at his hands. "Um, when can I see him?" he asked.

"We'll go back to the hospital this afternoon," Carole said. "For now, you both need to get more sleep. I'm sorry we woke you up, but I know both of you would have been upset if we'd just gone to bed. I'm going to stay up just long enough to call you boys out of school, and call a carpet cleaning company. Then I'm going to sleep for a few hours."

"What about...there's so much blood in the bathroom," Blaine said quietly.

"I'll call a cleaning service that specializes in biologicals," Carole reassured him. "We'll make sure it's all gone before you have to go back in there."

"Thanks, Carole," Blaine said quietly. He accepted hugs from both of the parents, and then stood there, looking lost.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Burt asked.

"I don't really have anywhere to sleep right now," Blaine said. "It'd be awkward to intentionally go to sleep in Finn's bed..."

"Why don't you take the couch, then?" Carole asked. "Everyone will be sleeping so that won't be a problem."

"I guess. Okay. Sorry to be such a bother."

"You're never a bother," Burt said. "So stop that. Let's get you settled and get you boys some more rest."

"Dude," Finn said, frowning. "We have the air mattress that Puck usually sleeps on...it's in my closet...we could set that up in here. It only takes a minute to fill..."

Carole smiled. "That's a great idea," she said. "Why don't you boys do that? You'll sleep better on an actual mattress, Blaine."

"Alright," Blaine nodded. "Thanks, guys, um, for everything. You shouldn't have to worry about me..."

"You're our son," Burt said firmly. "Of course we're going to worry about you. Now let's get some sleep."

Finn and Blaine set up the air mattress, and Finn gave him a couple of the pillows off his bed. But now that he'd had some rest, Blaine couldn't sleep. The pillows smelled like Finn and Rachel, not Kurt, and he couldn't help the tears.

Finn woke up, realizing his companion wasn't sleeping. "Dude, do you want me to go get a pillow and blanket from his room?" Finn asked. "Would that help?"

"It might," Blaine whispered. "It might..."

"I'll be right back." Finn lumbered over to the door and pulled it open. He went to Kurt's room and grabbed two pillows and the blanket off the bed, and returned to his room. He gave them all to Blaine, who snuggled into the familiar smelling warmth, and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

><p><strong>I will finish this story. I don't know when, but I will finish it. It's outlined, I just...Unclaimed consumed my life, and I left this one behind.<strong>


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